AN: Thanks to my beta Patty. She's done a wonderful job of helping me!

*****
After meeting on the Internet a year ago, William and Buffy fell deeply in love, and began living together. Willow and Tara had been hitting it off so well, they moved in with each other as well. Xander was no longer with them. He had begun dating Anya a few months after her divorce from her husband, Olaf. Dating quickly turned to love, and

Xander proposed. Anya accepted, and a wedding date was set.



The Magic shop had done so well that they moved to a larger location. Anya was made a partner, due to her sales expertise. If it hadn’t been for her, the shop would not have been nearly as successful.



Riley kept his distance from Buffy, deciding that she was more trouble than she was worth. Sam found out about her husbands indiscretions, but forgave him and stayed with him, even when everyone told her she shouldn't.

**************************



One Friday evening, William arrived home early. Without Buffy knowing what he was up to, he had planned a romantic dinner for their one year anniversary.



He pulled up to the curb, put the car in park and turned it off. Grabbing the roses he'd bought Buffy, he left his briefcase in the car. No business tonight, he promised himself. Tonight is for Buffy.



As soon as William put the key in the lock, he heard the phone ringing. Bloody hell, that better not be Buffy calling to tell me she'll be late. Not tonight. He turned the key and opened the door. Once inside he kicked off his shoes, and headed back to the bedroom, listening to the message as he changed.



The answering machine picked up, played their outgoing message, and beeped. “Hello Buffy," a man's voice said. I’m in town for the week on business and would like to see you. I’m staying at The Hyperion You remember? Where we spent our first night together I’m in the same room, 204. Give me a call."



I know that voice. Where have I heard it?



William went back to the living room, where the answering machine was. He sat down on the couch, pushed play and listened very closely to the voice.



He had to play the message three more times before it finally hit him.



Why the hell is Angel calling Buffy?



Angel had been from America, and was traveling around the world when they'd met at a bar. They'd become friends, and Angel had been the one who'd introduced him to Drusilla, only to steal her away shortly there after.



William remembered that horrible day like it was yesterday. It had been a rainy and dreary day, and Drusilla had asked him to go to the corner market to pick her up her favorite ice cream. Upon returning, he'd heard soft cries. He'd realized it was coming from their bedroom, and had rushed down the hall. Before he'd opened the door, he'd heard her....



“Oh, Angel,” Drusilla moaned in delight.



William had nearly become physically sick. He’d loved this woman with his whole heart, and now it was being ripped out, stomped on and handed back to him by her and his so called friend, Angel.



Tears had welled in his eyes. So much for love. His dark princess had betrayed him.



Sadness had turned to rage. “Bloody hell!” He'd taken a few deep breaths, and kicked the door open. Angel had instantly climbed off of Drusilla.



“Hey, Will,” Angel said calmly, as though he hadn't just been caught in the act of

screwing William's girlfriend.



“Did you bring me my ice cream, luv?” Dru asked, oblivious to William's pain.



William glared at Angel. "You bastard! How the fuck can you do a thing like this?"




"Oh, come on,” Angel had said, standing up, wrapping the sheet around his waist “We’ve been fucking since before I set you two up. You were just too dumb to see it."




Furiously, William had landed a punch to Angel’s face, knocking him to the floor.



William straddled Angel. “You…bloody…bastard…how…the…hell…could…you…do…this…to…a…friend?” he asked in between punches.



Drusilla had gotten a weird kick out of William hitting Angel into a bloody pulp. She was getting more excited by the minute; there had been blood all over the wall, the sheets, and William. When he'd finally regained control, he'd looked at the blood on his hands and had jumped to his feet. Backing away from Angel's unconscious body, he looked at Dru sadly.



“Why?" he'd asked. "How the hell could you do this to me? I loved you.”



“My poor little William.” She'd crawled over to him, naked.



“Don’t!”



She'd wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to kiss him, but he'd pushed her away.



“I said don't! Don't you ever fucking touch me again!"



Drusilla had pouted, sticking her lower lip out, hoping William would give in.



“No. That isn’t going to work Dru. Not this time. It’s over. I’m done.” He went to the closet, moved Angel out of the way. He'd grabbed his suitcase, putting whatever he could lay his hands on into it. Once he was finished, he'd walked out the door without looking back.

********************************************



William quickly snapped out of the horrible memory, and he erased the message. He

went into the kitchen, busying himself with dinner preparations.



“That ponce isn’t going to fuck up my life again. Not if I have anything to say about it!”



An hour later the spaghetti and meatballs were made. He covered the dishes to keep the food warm, then set the table. Buffy had candles around of all shapes and sizes, from votives to pillars to floating candles. William lit them all, leaving the room with a warm glow. He placed a bottle of burgundy on the table.



William looked up at the clock to see what time it was.



Good, she’ll be home soon.



He went back to the bedroom to change his clothes. He decided that he didn’t want to wear his black tee-shirt. He wanted to look nice for her, and pulled out in a blue cotton button down shirt; the one she liked the best on him. He quickly buttoned it up, and was tucking it into his pants when he heard Buffy come in.



“Hey babe." He came out of their bedroom.



She was wearing black slacks with horizontal white pin strips, a black blouse

with a deep neckline, and her favorite red jacket.



“Hi.” Buffy said, kicking her shoes off.



William kissed her, helped her remove her jacket, and hung it up.



“Boy, I’m beat.” Buffy signed and she walked into the dining room. She quickly noticed all that William had done for her.



“Happy Anniversary, pet.” Damn, the roses... Oh shit, I left them in the bedroom.



“You remembered,” She quickly threw her arms around his neck, pulling him closer for a heat seeking, passionate kiss.



When air became an issue, William was the first to break the kiss, leaving her wanting more. “Wow, that’s…some kiss.” He smiled, wanting a little more himself.



“There’s more where that came from,” she hinted, with a suggestive eyebrow.



“Hold that thought!” William went to the bedroom for the roses. He immediately saw them lying on the bed, grabbed them and went back out the living room. “For you,"

he said, holding out the flowers.



“Aww, you’re sweet. I love them, thank you….and there’s definitely going to be more thanks later." She sniffed the roses, as she looked up at him through her eyelashes.



“That I can’t wait for,” He grinned, leading her into the dining room. “But it's dinner first, desert later.” He removed the cover for her to see.



“My favorite, you remembered.”



“Of course. I wouldn’t forget that!” He pulled out a chair for her and she sat down, scooting in to the table. “Wine, love?”



“I’d love some.”



He opened the wine and poured her a glass and walked around the table, sat down, and poured himself a glass and they began to eat.



After they were finished, Buffy was stuffed. She didn’t think she could eat another bite. Unless he has chocolate cake in the kitchen? That I could go for. William stood up, cleared the table, took the dishes to the kitchen, and placed them in the sink. He turned to his left, there was small box sitting on the counter with a note on it, he pulled out two small plates and silverware. As he set the plates down, William picked up the note and began to read it.



“William,



Hope you have a wonderful evening. Happy Anniversary.


Love,
Willow and Tara”



William had been busy all day at work and didn’t think he’d be able to pick up the chocolate cake he had requested at the bakery, so he had asked Willow or Tara to pick it up for him and bring it to the house. He smiled, set aside the note, opened the lid, cut two pieces for him and Buffy and put them on a plate.



Buffy started to feel antsy and leaned in to see what he was up to.



“What’s taking you so long?” Buffy asked teasingly.



He knew she was trying to peek. He just smiled and shook his head.



“No peeking, love.”



William put the pieces of cake on a tray and carried it out to the dining room.



“Mmmmm, chocolate cake,” Buffy said, as he set the tray down, and handed her a plate. She quickly picked up the fork, and took a bite. “This is good.”


He sat down and took a bite as well. “Sorry love, it’s a store bought. If I’d had time, I’d have made you one from scratch.”



“Aww, aren’t you sweet, but you’ve done more than enough,” Buffy gestured around the room. “I love it. I love you.” William and Buffy leaned in for a heat seeking kiss. “Let’s go to the bedroom now.” William quickly rose out of the chair and pulled Buffy up into his arms for another kiss.







*********************************************

After an hour of love making, William pulled Buffy close to him, with her head lying on his chest.



“That was fantastic, William. I love you. I loved all of this. Thank you!”



“Love you too, pet.” He kissed the top of her head. “Too bad we never made it into the bedroom,” he joked.



“As long as we’re together, the place doesn’t matter to me,” Buffy turned around and looked him straight in the eye.



“Love, that’s so sweet.”



“I know,” She leaned in to kiss him. William rolled her over and once again entered her. “Oh, William.”



Once they were exhausted, Buffy and William had decided to call it a night once in their bedroom. The couple was snuggled closed to each other, not wanting to let go one another.



*************************************************

Across town at the Hyperion, Angel paced back and forth in a dark suit, anxiously waiting for Buffy to return his call. It never entered his mind that she wouldn’t. He'd stopped in Sunnydale over night, thinking he could get back with her, even if it was just one night. Angel didn’t care if she was with someone, or even married. It didn’t matter.



“Damn! Why isn’t she calling me?” Angel looked at his watch. “She should be home from The Magic Shop already.”



After Angel was with Drusilla, he'd realized right away that she was a bit crazy, and left her. He'd traveled around the world and on his twenty-third birthday he'd found himself in Sunnydale, California, where he'd met Buffy. He'd courted her briefly, then left after having sex with her one time.



He'd then met Darla in a bar in Louisiana. She was blonde, petite and beautiful, not to mention her father was loaded, which made it easy for Angel to marry her right away. Her father wanted Angel to work in the family business. Master Incorporated bought and sold off companies piece by piece, putting hundreds of thousands of people out of work.



The marriage started out well enough. No kids to worry about the first few years. Then all of a sudden Darla got pregnant. Angel didn’t believe it at first, because they had taken precautions. He'd always figured Darla stopped taking her birth control bills. They'd fought about it constantly, and ended up sleeping in separate beds.



As Angel was waiting, there was a knock at the door, and he rushed over to answer it, hoping that it would be Buffy.



“Oh, it’s you.”



Darla stood there, wearing a navy skirt with a navy waist jacket and a white blouse. Her hair was loose over her shoulders.



“Thanks, Angel. That’s such a nice way to great your wife and son.”



Conner was 3 years old. He had blonde hair that was slowly turning brown. There were hints of Darla, but he resembled Angel more. He was a typical toddler, hyper as can be. He was nervous around his father and always hid behind his mother, but he usually warmed up to Angel after a few minutes.



“I’m sorry,” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Son,” Angel bent down, “It’s ok. I’m not going to bite. You can come out from behind mommy.” Conner poked his head out from behind his mother’s skirt. “It’s ok, Conner.” Conner stepped out, smiled weakly before running into his father’s arms. “How’s my boy?”



“Me fine daddy.”



“Good.” Angel hugged his son. “Come in, Darla.” Angel gestured his wife to come in the room.



Darla walked in and shut the door behind her, not pleased with her husband’s actions, not to mention him being in Sunnydale.



After they were married, she'd secretly had her father’s people check out Angel; his background, if he'd been married before, who he'd dated, and so on. When Darla received the file, she wasn’t too surprised that he’d stolen his good friend’s girl away, gotten another girl pregnant, and had several meaningless relationships before he'd met her. He wasn’t in trouble with the law, which was a relief to her. His background left a lot to be desired, but as long as his family didn’t bother her or Conner, she didn’t care what they did.



“What are you two doing in Sunnydale?” Angel asked.



“We go see Mickey,” Conner’s face lit up.



“I thought I’d spend some time with him, since his father doesn't seem to want to," Darla

replied acidly.



Angel scowled at her and then set Conner down. “Turn on the TV Conner. Mommy and Daddy need to talk.”



“Otay.” Conner turned on the TV and laid down on the bed.



Angel grabbed Darla by the arm and dragged her over to the door so Conner wouldn’t hear their arguing.



“Darla, why the hell do you speak to me like that in front of Conner?”



“I’m only being honest. He should know he has a deadbeat for a father.”



That stung Angel. He really did care for his son, but she was right, he wasn’t the best father.



Angel didn’t have a good relationship with his father, Charles. When his mother had died, his father placed him in boarding school while he traveled in England. Charles came back to check on his son every so often, but the visits soon dwindled down to nothing.



The last time Angel and his father came into contact, was right after Angel left Sunnydale to go to L.A. His father was remarried and had a new family. Charles didn’t want anything to do with his older son.



“That was cold.”



Darla just shrugged and said, “Conner, it’s time to go. We’re going to miss the plane.”







Angel turned away from Darla. “You’re mother’s right. You should get going. When I get home, we can go someplace. Where ever you want.”



Conner jumped up on the bed.



Darla took his hand and headed out the door without saying good bye.



“Damn her!” He punched the wall. Early in their relationship, Angel had hit her, but she'd threatened to tell her father. Angel would be out on the street, or worse, dead. He'd never tried to hurt her after that. Angel didn’t dare cross his father-in-law.



********************************************

The next morning, the phone rang at 6am, and Buffy reached across William to

answer it.



“Hello?” she said, still half asleep.



“Is Mr. Giles there?”



That irritating voice woke her up. That bitch better stop calling here so early in the morning or I’ll kick her ass myself.



“Harmony, do you have any idea what time it is?”



“So…what’s your point?”



“My point is, stop calling so early or I'll..." William took the phone away. “Hey, I was talking to her,” Buffy pouted.



“She’s my secretary.” He put the phone up to his ear. “What is it Harmony?”



“William…” Harmony began, in her annoying, high pitched voice.



“I’ve asked you to call me Mr. Giles.” William rolled his eyes. I’ve got to do something about the chit. She’s getting on my nerves. “Why are you calling me?”



“Give me the phone, I’ll find out,” Buffy tried grabbing the phone away, but William held her back. “Give it here.”



William whispered, “Stop!”



“Can't you tell her to be quiet?" Harmony finally said, annoyed with Buffy’s attitude.



“I’ll ask you again, why are you calling me?”



“God, William...why are you with her? You should be with me. I can give you so much more.”



William sat up in bed. “All right, that's enough. Harmony, you're fired. Call here one more time and I'll notify the police."



“William, please!”



“Monday morning, I want you to clean out your desk at the station."



“But…but…” She stuttered.



William hung up the phone.



“We need a restraining order against her, William. There’s no telling what the skank will try to do,” Buffy surmised.



“You’re right. I’ve given her way too many chances. We’ll go down Monday morning and file the papers then.”



“Good.”



“Let’s say, we forget about Harmony Kendall for the rest of the weekend, and I make you some waffles.”



“Sounds good.”



William pulled on his pajama bottoms and Buffy put on his pajama shirt and followed him into the kitchen, forgetting about Harmony.









******************************************



Willow was startled by the paper hitting against the front door. She sat up and looked over at the alarm clock, which read 7:30 am. She rolled over kissed Tara on the cheek, pushed the sheets off and slid her feet into her slippers. She went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and hair, and then headed down stairs.



She remembered the paper was at the front door, opened it, looking out at the neighbor, kissing his wife before he left for work. Willow smiled as she grabbed the paper. She came in, shut the door behind her, and went to make coffee.



When the coffee was finished brewing, Tara had come downstairs.



“Hey honey,” Tara entered into the kitchen, yawning.



“Good morning,” She greeted her girlfriend with a kiss.



“I wonder how their evening went,” Tara said as she poured herself a cup of java.



“I hope it went well.”



“Me too. They really do love each other. I don’t want anything bad to happen to them,” She took a sip of her coffee.”



“As long as Angel doesn’t come back into the picture, I think things will be ok.”



“Angel?”



“Yeah, he’s the first.”



“The first?” Tara asked, and as soon as she asked, she realized what that meant. “Oh, the first…did something happen?”



“Yes…I don’t know if I should talk about it. She probably wouldn't mind if I did, but I don’t know.”



Tara sat down next to her lover. “It’s ok, if you can’t tell me.”



“I want to tell you, but it’s not my story to tell.”



“I won’t say anything.”



Willow thought it over for a few minutes. Buffy wouldn’t mind too much if Tara knew. The only ones that knew the whole story were her and Xander. William only knew that the first time Buffy was with someone, he'd hurt her by leaving practically the next day.



“When Buffy turned 19, Cordelia, Fred, Faith and I, had a party for her at The Bronze, and she met this guy Angel. They dated for like 6 months. She totally fell in love with him, and the day after they were...together...for the first time, he left her."



"That's awful. What a creep."



“That’s not the only thing that happened.”



“What? Did he leave her with some sort of disease?”



“Not exactly.”



“What then?”



“A few weeks later, Buffy found out she was pregnant, and soon after that she miscarried. It was a horrible time for her. She was right in the middle of studying to be an interior designer, too."



“That’s just so horrible of Angel to leave her like that. I just don’t understand men.”



“There are only two decent men as far as I’m concerned, and that's..."



“William and Xander,” Tara finished the sentence. It was something that they did from time to time, feeling proud that they knew each other's thoughts so well.



“Of course,” Tara smiled, taking another drink of her coffee. “Speaking of Xander, how are he and Anya doing?"



“I'm not sure. She’s been real quiet at work lately."



“That’s very unusual for her.”



“Very…I wonder if everything is okay between them?"



“I’m sure it is. They're probably just having a little spat. They’ll work it out.”



Several minutes went by where neither one said anything. Willow picked up the paper and began reading it. Suddenly she set the paper down, and looked at Tara with worried eyes. "Oh, no...not now," she murmured.



Tara looked at Willow, becoming very worried herself. “Honey, what’s the matter?” Willow handed over the Sunny Times over to Tara.



“It's...it's Angel. He’s back in town.”



“What?” Tara looked down at the paper. She read the headline: ‘Liam O’Malley in Sunnydale. Takeover of local company expected.'



“Oh god, I’ve gotta call Buffy.” Willow rose to her feet and crossed the room to the phone. She quickly dialed Buffy and William’s number. “Come on, answer,” she whispered as it rang.



“ Hello?” William answered.



“Is Buffy there? I need to talk to her. Please get her on the phone.” Willow said, quickly.



“Whoa, red, calm down. What’s the matter?”



“Just please... get Buffy on the phone.”



“All right. She’s here.” He handed over the phone to Buffy. "It's Willow."



“Hi, Willow. Why are you calling so early?"




“I know. I’m sorry, but I need to tell you something.” Willow sounded serious.



“What is it?” Buffy asked worriedly.



“Did you get the morning paper?”



“Not yet. Why?”



“You know how you always worried about the past biting you in the ass?”



“Yeah. What are you trying to say, Willow?”



“Angel,” Willow said simply.



“What? What does he have to do with…what about him?” All her fears quickly came back to her. She thought she’d buried that part of her past, and her face turned white. William hadn’t noticed as he was fixing her the waffles he'd promised.



Willow sat quietly for a few moments, before she said anything.



“Wil, please..."



“I wouldn’t be calling you if it wasn’t important.”



“Get to it already.”



“Angel…he’s…here…in…town,” Willow said, slowly, waiting for Buffy to blow a gasket. The only thing she heard was the phone drop to the floor. “Buffy?” Willow began to get worried. “BUFFY?!”



The phone went dead on the other end. Willow hung up, worried that her best friend’s life was about to be shattered. Tara rushed over to her lover, and held her tightly, telling her everything would be ok.

William turned as soon as he heard the phone drop. Buffy had slumped down on the floor, holding her knees close up to her chest.

”Buffy! Love, what’s the matter?” He rushed to her side. “What is it?”



Buffy just looked up into William's blue eyes and began to cry. Everything she'd tried so hard to forget had come back with a bang. How would she get past it once again?



“Baby, I’ve got you.” He picked her up in his arms, and took her back to the bedroom, then laid her on the bed and crawled up beside her, holding her close.



A few minutes later, she looked him in the eyes. She wanted to tell him all about her past. She had to come to grips with it herself, after burying it deep inside of her for so long, but she knew no matter what, he’d always be there for her.



“It’s all right; you don’t have to talk about it right now, honey," he whispered, stroking her hair gently. "Not if you don't feel like it."



“I do, I do. It’s just...it was a very hard time for me and when Willow reminded me of it, it just hit me all over again. I guess...I need a few minutes.” She sniffed and wiped her tears on the back of her sleeve.



William smiled and kissed her on top of her head. She took a deep breath before she began speaking.



“I didn’t tell you everything about my past.” She began softly. “When I turned 19, I met this guy at the Bronze when my friends gave me a birthday party. He was every girl’s knight in shining armor type of guy. You know...tall, dark, and handsome. He was great to me. I totally fell in love with him and then…we slept together.”



“Love, I know all this. You’ve told me about this before. The guy ran out on you."



“Actually," she took a deep breath. "I left something very important out.”



“Go on,” William told her.



“He got me…pregnant.”



“Pregnant?” he repeated, sitting up.



“Yes...but I lost the baby not long after.”



“Oh, honey, I’m sorry.” He held her tightly, not wanting to ever let go.



“I never told him," Buffy choked out. "Was...was that wrong of me?"



“You don’t owe that ponce a damn thing, Buffy. HE did YOU wrong. No girl should ever have to go through what you did.” William held her tightly. “Is that what got you upset?”



“No, he’s…Angel’s in town on business, and I'm afraid he might try to see me."



William let go abruptly. “Angel? He’s the one that knocked you up?”


“Yeah, why?” She asked a bit defensively, not understanding why.



“Shit! I can’t seem to get away from that nancy boy.” He swung his legs off the bed, leaning forward with his hands clasped.



“What? You know him?” she asked, moving closer. "Are you sure? His real name is

Liam...."



"O' Malley," William finished. "Yeah, I know him.He was a good friend of mine until he stole my girl from…I don’t really think she was mine to begin with,” he said, staring at the floor.



“Oh, my god,” Buffy began crying again. “I'm so sorry, William."



“For what?” William asked, turning around. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t know he was gonna be a total ass. Neither of us did, but there’s no reason to be sorry.” He interlaced his fingers with hers. “Baby, I did something totally wrong yesterday.”



She looked up at him with tear stained eyes.



“What?”



“He called…I had no idea he was ‘that guy’, so I deleted the message. I didn’t want it to interfere with our evening.”



“I should have been honest about my past, but I wasn’t, and now we’re in this mess.”



“It’s Angel’s fault. If he’d just stayed the hell away from SunnyD, we’d all been better off.”



Buffy had to agree with that. If he hadn’t come back, the only thing they’d be dealing with was Harmony. Even then, they’d forget about her for the rest of the weekend. Harmony was nothing compared to Angel. She was just an annoying bug that easily could be swatted away. Angel, on the other hand, was ruthless. When he wanted something, there was no stopping him.



Most importantly, Angel had hurt her deeply. It had taken her a long time to even have another relationship, and Buffy wasn’t going to let Angel ruin it. She loved William with her whole heart. More than she'd ever dreamed of. He was her soul mate. He knew her, as she knew him. Buffy wasn’t about to lose that. It was too important to her.



William saw that Buffy was quiet. “Love, what are you thinking about?”



“Us…William, I don’t want to lose this…us. I love you. I don’t care about Angel. He’ll never come between us. He can't. We're too connected.”



He smiled. “Pet, you’re not going to lose me. I love you, too. Very much. He’s not going to come between us. Not if I have anything to say about it.” He got out of bed, and went over to the dresser.



Buffy watched him, nervously.



“What are you going to do?” She got out of bed and went over to him.



William pulled out a pair of jeans. “Something that I should have a long time ago."



God, what does he mean by that?



“What is that supposed to mean?” Buffy asked, while he was pulling up his jeans.



“I kicked his arse once before.”



“You did what?” Buffy asked, nervously.



He pulled out a navy tee-shirt and put it on.



“I kicked his arse for sleeping with Drusilla, my first girlfriend.”



“William, please don’t do something rash.” She tried talking him out of whatever he was going to do. “Angel’s a non-issue. Let’s just forget about this and move on.”



“He needs to be stopped. I don't want him bothering you, not ever again."



“What are you going to do?” She turned him to face her. “I want to know!"



William went back over to the bed, ignoring her protests. Buffy suddenly was more worried then she had been in her entire life. He slipped on a pair of socks, and pulled on his combat boots, and then finally spoke. “Buffy, I’m going over to the Hyperion. Gonna take care of it once and for all.” He got up to leave, but she sat down on the bed and pulled him back down beside her.



Buffy held his hand, and said, “I’m sorry that he hurt you, but this is my battle.” She finally realized this was something that she had to take care of herself. She was scared, but at the same time she was determined to find some peace of mind and closure. “It’s the only way that I’ll truly get over it. You’re more than welcome to come along with me as support, but only as support.”



He squeezed her hand and smiled. “If you're sure that’s what you wish, I’ll respect that.”



“That’s what I want.” Buffy leaned over and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and they fell back on the bed, forgetting their problems for a little while.



************************************************



Double doors were pushed open, and Xander and Anya walked out of their bedroom. She sat down on the couch still half asleep. He went into the kitchen to make coffee and some breakfast. He scanned the shelf, and pulled out a box of cereal.



“Ahn, what would you like to eat?” he asked, grabbing the milk.



“Nothing,” she said, rubbing her stomach, feeling ill. “I don’t feel much like eating right now.”



“Aw, it’ll pass soon, don’t worry,” he said pouring the milk into his fruit loops. He took a bite and started chewing.



“XANDER!,” she said sharply, listening to him chew loudly.



“What?” he asked obliviously, taking another bite.



“You’re eating and I can hear you!” She felt like she was going to throw up.




"So what?" he asked, shoveling in another huge bite.



That was all it took to send Anya running for the bathroom. Xander went into the bedroom, still holding the bowl, waiting for her to come out of the bathroom. When she did, she was wiping her face off with a towel. “When will this end?” she moaned.



“Anya, it’ll be ok. I hear it passes.”



She scowled at him. “When does it pass? Hmm? I have it morning, noon, AND night, Xander, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.” She looked at herself in the mirror. “And look...look at how fat I'm getting!"



He set his bowl down on the table, walked over to her, wrapped his arms her waist. “You look beautiful and that’s just what happens. It won't last forever, honey. Before you know it, you'll be holding our beautiful little baby in your arms."



She smiled, feeling a little better. “I guess you’re right.”



“Have you told the gang yet?” Xander asked, turning her around to face him.



“No, not yet. I know they're wondering what’s wrong.”



“Are you worried about what Buffy will say?”



“Yes, I am. I know she went through hell with that Angel guy. I just don’t want to hurt her with our news.”



“Honey, we won’t be able to keep this hidden much longer."



She sighed. “I know. Don’t remind me.”

Xander kissed her forehead. “Let’s say we do something today.”



“Like what?”



“Visit the gang. Maybe get together later and having dinner somewhere?”



Anya crinkled her nose, “Don't talk about dinner, not right now, honey. I think I’m going to go back to bed for a little while.”



“All right, Ahn, whatever you like. I’ll just be right out in the living room if you need me.”



She smiled and crawled back into bed. He went into the living room, plopped down with his fruit loops, turned on the TV, and scanned the band.



************************************************

William and Buffy walked into the Hyperion and as soon as they entered, it brought back the memories again. But this time was different. She was ok with it now. That was her past, and William was her future. She held his hand as they walked up the stairs to the second floor.



Once they got to the door, she turned to face him, “Remember, William, you’re only here for support...okay?"



He didn’t say anything.



“Okay?"



“Okay,” he finally said. "I'm support guy."



She knocked on the door. They heard scrambling around the room, and finally the door swung open. Angel was there in full view. She wasn’t quite expecting him to be clad in just a bedsheet. William stood off to the side. If she needed him, he’d step out in full view, making sure the ponce didn't do anything he shouldn’t.



“So, you finally showed up. It's good to see you, Buff."



“This isn’t a social call, Angel."



“Oh, what a shame…I was hoping that my friend Courtney, you and I would have a threesome.”



“Very funny."



Angel grabbed her hand, and pulled her forward. "Don't knock it until you try it, babe."



“Let go of me.” Buffy stomped on his foot with the heel of her shoe.



"Fuck!" he yelped, letting go instantly. “You bitch! What’d you do that for?” Babying his foot, he snarled, “I think you broke something."



“Good. I hope it hurts!"



“What the hell is your problem?”



“My problem?”



“Yeah....YOUR problem!"



Buffy looked around him at the girl in his room. “Courtney, I think you should leave. Under age girls shouldn’t be in hotel rooms with grown men."



Courtney looked shocked. “H-how d-did you know?”



“I’ve seen you around. You’re friends with my cousin Dawn. She’s only 17,” Buffy told her.



“You’re 17?” Angel asked Courtney.



“Y-yes, please don’t call the cops,” she pleaded as she grabbed her things and left, almost knocking William down in the process.



“Great," Angel muttered."That’s all I need.” He ran a hand through his hair.



If you only knew what’s outside in the hall, Buffy thought, smiling.



Angel turned towards Buffy. “So, why are you here? It's pretty obvious you don't want to see me."



“I'm here to tell you what I think of you.You hurt me when you left. I was alone and pregnant. You don’t have any idea what that did to me. I loved you and you didn’t even give a care about me. How could you even do a thing like that? I never once did anything to hurt you."



He looked at her shocked. “You never told me you were pregnant. Do I have a son or a daughter?” He wondered if she had lost it, or given it up for adoption or maybe had an abortion. “Where's the kid?"



“I had a miscarriage shortly after I found out.”



“Oh...well. I'm...sorry?" More like relieved, but he didn't say it.



“It hurt for so very long, but I was finally able to let it go and move on, instead of burying it deep down. That’s all thanks to the wonderful man I met. I have no use for you anymore, Angel. You can go to hell,” she said triumphantly.


I’ve so wanted to say that to him for a very long time. It feels so damn good.



Angel was totally shocked. No woman talked to him like that and got away with it.



“I think you might know him. His name is William Giles.” She turned and called her boyfriend.



William Giles? Christ! I haven't thought about him in years.



William entered the room with a smug smile on his face. “Last time we saw each other, I was kicking your ass all over my room."



“Small world, Will. How have you been?” Angel asked, warily.



“Don't make friendly small talk, Angel. We're not old pals. And by the way, how's Dru?"



“You don’t know?”



“Know what?”



“She's...she's dead. Suicide," Angel said briefly.



“What?” William asked, shocked.



“Angel, this better not be some stupid joke of yours,” Buffy asked, holding William's hand tightly.



“No, it’s all true.” He went over to his lap top and turned it on. He went to google and searched for her death notice. “Here, you can see for yourself.”



William and Buffy walked over to the desk while Angel got dressed. William sat down and started reading the notice.





Drusilla Barnes, 29, heiress to the Barnes Hotel chains, and many of the Fallen Angel restaurants owned by her mother’s side of the family, died in her home, an apparent suicide, on the 7th of June. She left a note simply saying ‘I’m sorry I caused so much pain to everyone I ever loved. Please don’t think of my death as shameful. I don’t. I see it as moving on to the next life…Love, Drusilla.’ She is preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, James and Dorian Barnes; maternal grandparents, Michael and Stella Wentworth, and her brother Michael James, who all died in a small plane crash the year before, the wreckage of which was never found.





William turned towards Angel, who was now dressed. “Why didn’t she ever tell me about her grandparents and her brother?”



“She asked me not to say anything, never really giving me a reason why.”



“Weren’t you with her?”



“No, I left her not long after. She kinda went crazy,” Angel said, thinking back to that time.



“She had nobody. That’s a shame,” Buffy said, feeling badly for William. He had after all cared for this woman, but she didn’t feel a bit sorry for her. She got exactly what she deserved. “William, I think it’s time for us to go.”



“Not yet.” William rose to his feet. “How could you leave her?” he asked Angel.



“Will, I couldn’t take it anymore. She talked about the fairies, elves, and leprechauns, or whatever, telling her what was to come. She spoke of her death…MY death, even YOUR death. To put it honestly, she was scaring the shit out of me. I had to leave. I wasn’t going to let her bring me down with her. I came back to the states, got married and had a kid.”



That’s too bad for them. Buffy thought.



“And your wife, she knows about your indiscretions?” William asked.



“Yes, I suppose she knows,” Angel replied.



“Then why is she still with you?” Buffy asked, snidely.



“Honestly, I don’t know. I suppose she loves me. And she stays with me for our son, Conner,” Angel answered honestly. “I’m not a nice man. I know that. I screw people over for a living. How do you think I live with myself everyday? It’s not like I can ever leave Master Incorporated. My father-in-law would fucking kill me."



“Well, that’s your problem,” William said, and then turned to Buffy. “Let’s go. I’m done with this whole scene.”



“All right with me.” Buffy and William left Angel’s room hand in hand, leaving their painful pasts where they belonged.



As they got into their car, William turned in his seat. “Marry me?”



“What?” She asked, not quite sure she'd heard him properly.



“Marry me. We can drive to Vegas, get married and then spend a few days on honeymoon."



“Are you serious?”



“Dead serious. Let’s go home, get what we need, and go.”



Buffy smiled, excitedly wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”



“Then let’s go.”



******************************************

They pulled up in front of their place. There were lights on in their second floor apartment.



“The lights are on,” Buffy thought out loud.



“We probably forgot to turn them off,” William said as they got out of their car.



“Maybe you’re right.”



As they got closer to their door, they saw that it was opened. William looked at her, worried. “Stay out here, love.”



“Okay."



William opened the door, peered inside, making sure that there wasn’t anyone in there, and walked inside.



“Bloody hell,” William cursed, looking around the living room and dining area.



The place was a mess. Paintings and pictures ruined. Glass all over. The couch cushions were cut and the stuffing torn out. The chairs were thrown through the glass patio doors. He then went into the bedroom. Drawers were dumped out. Clothes all over the place. His pants had the crotches missing in them. Above their bed, there was a message scrawled on the wall in red paint. ‘You are mine, William, now and forever.’ He noticed a picture of him and Buffy in the middle of the floor. Buffy’s head had been cut out, and replaced with Harmony’s.



Buffy was starting to feel nervous out there in the hall, so she went inside. When she saw how her home had been vandalized, she began to cry. She'd worked so hard to make it beautiful and someone had come in and just ruined it all.



William picked up the picture and sighed deeply. “That is it.” He turned abruptly and threw the picture against the wall.



Buffy heard the crash from their bedroom and ran down the hall.

Harmony jumped off the bed when she heard the car pulling up. She dropped the can of red paint on the floor, smiled at the writing on the wall. Picking up her duffel bag, she pulled out a picture frame.



“Soon, William," she murmured "we’ll be together the way it should have been." She kissed the picture, and dropped it in the middle of the floor, wanting it to be in a place where he couldn't possibly miss it..



Harmony hurried out of the apartment and down the back stairs.



*************************************************

William had moved up the ranks at channel 5 rather quickly, leap-frogging from anchor man to producer in less than a year’s time. He'd had to hire a secretary for the first time, so he'd called up a local temp agency to find a suitable candidate for the position.



The second one they'd sent was Harmony Kendall. She'd seemed a little air-headed, but her secretarial skills were impressive, so he'd hired her.



Over the course of time, some of his things began to go missing. Nothing major, but just enough to be annoying; a calculator, a coffee mug with the station's logo, a necktie

he'd left in the staff lounge; a framed photograph of himself and Buffy on a beach in

Northern California. The frame had been sterling silver, but he was much angrier at losing the picture it contained.



William then began getting bouquets of flowers. At first, he'd figured it was Buffy who was sending them, but when he'd questioned her about it, she had denied it. When he'd decided to check with the local florists, they abruptly stopped coming. At that point, Buffy had started getting harassing letters mailed to her at both their home and her store. William had begun to get seriously worried, wondering if he'd been attracting some sort of stalker.



Working late one night to assemble a budget for the coming year, he'd asked Harmony to stay as well. It had been a huge mistake on his part. She apparently had gotten the notion that he was interested in something other than working with her. He'd spent the evening ignoring her flirtatious behavior, trying to convince himself that he was imagining things, but not making the connection.



The next day, she came in bright and chipper. He'd asked her to come into his office.



“Yes, boss, what is it?” she'd asked.



“I wanted to discuss what happened last night."



“What do you mean?” she asked, feigning innocence.



He'd leaned across his desk. “I think you know exactly what I mean. Your behavior last night was entirely unprofessional, and if it continues that way, I'll have no choice but to let you go."



”I don’t know what you mean, Mr. Giles.”



“I think you do, and it had better stop right now. You're an excellent secretary, Harmony,

and I'd hate to lose you over something like this. So, let's try and get past it, and see

that it doesn't happen again, all right?"



"Yes sir."

**********************************************

A FEW WEEKS LATER.....



Harmony rolled over in bed and grabbed her phone. She punched in the numbers for William's home, wanting to hear his voice and perhaps disrupt whatever early morning love making might be going on.



“Hello?” Buffy answered, sounding half asleep.



Harmony rolled her eyes. “Is Mr. Giles there?”



“Harmony, do you have any idea what time it is?”



Do I even care what time it is?



“So…what’s your point?”



“My point is, stop calling so early or I'll..." Harmony heard William take the phone away. “Hey, I was talking to her,” Buffy muttered in the background.



“She’s my secretary. What is it Harmony?”



“William…” Harmony began, but got no further.



“I’ve asked you to call me Mr. Giles.”



“Give me the phone! ” Buffy sounded like she was trying to take the phone away while William held her off.



“Can't you tell her to be quiet?" Harmony finally said, annoyed with Buffy’s attitude.



“I’ll ask you again, why are you calling me?”



“God, William...why are you with her? You should be with me. I can give you so much more.”



“All right, that's enough. Harmony, you're fired. Call here one more time and I'll notify the police."



“William, please!”



“Monday morning, I want you to clean out your desk at the station."



“But…but…” she stuttered. The next thing she heard was the line going dead. “SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!”



She threw the phone and once it hit the wall; it shattered into thousands of little pieces.



“He’s gonna pay now, dearly.”



Harmony jumped out of bed and went into the other room. On the far wall there were three monitors set up, all showing a different view of William's home. One of the cameras was facing directly into their bedroom window. She knew she was safe there, since they had no idea she'd rented the house across the street from them.




She sat down in the chair by the window, where she had a high powered telescope set up. You may have fired me, but this isn't over yet, William...not even close. I'm gonna tear your happy little home to pieces.



***************************************

Xander and Anya pulled up in front of Willow and Tara’s home. It was a two story colonial house, the prettiest on the block. Anya hoped that one day she and Xander could have a house just like it.



“All right, Anya, we’re going to tell them, and we’ll tell Buffy and William later on this evening, okay?"



She smiled as they got out of the car, and walked up the walk way together, hand in hand.



Xander knocked on the door a few times, and Tara answered.



“Xander?” Tara said in surprise. “Anya. So good of you to stop by. Won’t you come in?” She stepped aside for them to enter in the foyer. “Willow" she called, "Xander and Anya are here.”



Willow came down the stairs, excited to see Xander. “Hey Xan.” She hugged him. “How have you two been?”



“Good…real good,” Xander said, wrapping an arm around Anya’s waist.



Anya had begun wearing maternity clothing, but it was the new style that disguised pregnancy well into the late months.



“Why don’t we go into the living room and get comfortable?” Willow suggested.



Xander and Anya sat on the couch, while Willow and Tara sat in a pair of matching armchairs.



“Xander and I are going to have a baby," Anya blurted out, in her usual blunt fashion



“Oh, is THAT what's going on?" Willow asked, relieved they weren’t breaking up. "What a relief."



“Why? What’d you think Wil? That we were breaking up?” Xander asked a little confused.



“Well….yeah…actually we did,” Tara replied. “Sorry. It’s just that Anya has been so quiet and we weren’t sure what was going on, but this news is great! I am so happy for you two.” Tara rose from the chair and hugged Anya and Xander. Willow hugged the couple as well.



“Me, too." Willow added. "When are you due?”



“In 4 months, three weeks, and four days," Anya replied. Everyone laughed at how carefully she'd calculated the exact date.



As Tara, Anya and Xander were talking about the baby, Willow began to think about Buffy. She hadn’t heard from her all afternoon, and was beginning to worry.



Maybe I should give her a call. OR maybe we should all just go over there. I hope she’s not upset with me.



“Honey,” Tara said, jarring Willow out of her thoughts.



“What?”



“What’s the matter?”



“Just worried about Buffy.”



“What’s up with the Buffster?” Xander asked.



“Angel was in town today,” Willow replied. “I called her this morning, and told her, but then the line went dead. I haven’t heard from her all day. I want to call, but I don’t know if I should. I’m just so worried. She may be upset with me. I did sorta, kinda, bring things back for her. I never meant to do that. I hope she’s okay…I just don’t know what I should do.”



“Baby, it’ll be fine. If you want, we can all stop by their place and make sure of it," Tara said, squeezing Willow’s hand.



********************************************

Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara drove over to Buffy and William's apartment an hour later. They had to park the car down the block, because there had been cop cars all over the place.



“Shit, what the hell happened here?” Xander asked, getting out of his car.



“I don’t know, but I don’t like it,” Willow replied feeling uneasy.



The group walked down the block to William and Buffy’s, but they were stopped by the police.



“Sorry, but this is a crime scene. No one is allowed beyond this tape.”



“Our friends live in there,” Willow replied, worriedly. “Please, officer. Our friends are in the second floor apartment. Did something happen to them?"



“I can’t give out that information, ma’am.”



“Look officer, my friend here is very worried. She’ll start to panic if she doesn’t get any information,” Xander tried reasoning with the police officer. "Believe me, it's not a pretty sight."



“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing that I can do. Please just stay behind the tape. I’ll see if I can get one of the detectives to help you.” The officer took down their names and went inside the building.



“Damn,” Xander said, seriously worried.



A few minutes later, they were admitted. The girls followed Xander up the front stairs.



Once they were in the apartment, they saw Buffy sitting on the floor in front of her couch, which had been destroyed.



“BUFFY!” they all yelled at once, and went to her side.



“What happened?” Xander asked, kneeling in front of her.



“This day has been horrible," she said, running her hands through her hair.



“What happened?” Willow asked, slowly. "Is this because of my phone call? You just hung up without saying anything."



Buffy turned towards Willow.



“I'm sorry about earlier. I just wasn’t expecting all that to come back.”



“So...you’re not mad at me?” Willow asked, hopefully.



“No, I’m not. You did me a favor. William and I went to visit Angel this morning. I finally was able to tell Angel what I thought about the whole situation…and you know what?”



“What?”



“It felt good. I've always wanted to tell him to go to hell.”



“That’s so great, Buffy.” Xander was happy that his friend was finally able to move past everything that had happened.



“It also turns out that William and Angel knew each other.” She briefly explained the situation.



“Oh wow,” Tara said, shocked. “Small world, huh?”



“Yeah. So...we're finally able to close THAT chapter of our lives, and then we come home to this,” Buffy gestured around the room. “Our home was broken into. Just about everything was destroyed.”



“I'm very sorry Buffy,” Anya said, so eagerly waiting to tell Buffy her news, it just spilled out before she realized it. “I’m pregnant.”



“What?” Buffy asked, shaking her head.



“Anya,” Xander gritted through his teeth. “This really isn't a good time."



“No, its okay, Xander. I’m glad for you two,” Buffy said, hugging them both.



“Really? It’s okay?” Xander asked, again.



“I mean it wasn’t the best time, but it’s good news and that's all that counts. Congratulations."



“Now, what happened here?” Tara asked, changing the subject.



“Some sick twisted bitch is after us," Buffy said, frowning.



“Who?”



“We think it was Harmony. She’s had a thing for William for a long time now, and I guess she finally cracked."



“Why didn’t Will just get rid of her?” Xander wondered.



“He thought she would lose interest, but this morning he had to fire her. Then we went to see Angel and when we got home....we found this mess."she replied, going over the days events in her mind. “He proposed to me right before we came home.”



“Oh my god, he did?” Willow asked, surprised. She'd known this day would happen, and she was thrilled for her friend.



“Yep. We were going to go to Vegas and just do it. We came home and found the apartment like this. He told me to stay in the hall, but I wanted to come in...I didn't want to stay out there. So I came in here, waiting for him to return, and I heard something like glass shattering. I ran down the hall and William was...so upset. I’d never seen him that way. I was worried about him. He tried to get me to leave the room but I didn’t. He didn’t want me to see what was on the wall above the bed.” She stopped for a few moments to catch her breath. “I had already noticed it when I walked into the bedroom. I went over to him and he just collapsed into my arms. He was finally able to suggest we call the police. They’ve been here since then…I just wish this was all over now. I want to go back to our normal life.” William had walked into the living room just as she said that. She ran into his arms.



“It’s okay, love, everything will be okay.” he said, holding her tightly.



“We’re never going to get away from her, are we?” Buffy asked, tears springing to her eyes. He kissed the top of her head.




“They’ll find her. We can go on with our lives and get married just as we'd planned."



“I hope so.”

Several hours later, the police finally left the apartment. They had all the evidence that they needed; the spray can, finger prints, and even a hair sample. They weren’t sure if it was Buffy’s or not, so she gave them a sample of her own hair, just to rule it out. She wanted this to be over as soon as possible.



The detective in charge suggested that they stay somewhere else for the night. Willow and Tara immediately offered their home, and were informed that there would be a squad car patrolling their neighborhood, as well as one patrolling Buffy and William's street.



Xander and Anya had decided to go home. Anya was tired and wasn’t up to any more socializing, not to mention stress.

********************************************





Willow suggested that they order in for the evening meal. It would be like old times, she thought wistfully.



“What would you like to order?” Willow asked pulling out a menu for a pizza place, then sitting down at the kitchen table, waiting for their order.



“Thanks Wil, but I’m not up for eating right now,” Buffy said, feeling tired. Why did this all have to happen today of all days? I just want to curl up and die right now.



“Buffy, love, we haven’t much today. We should really eat something. A sandwich maybe?” William was worried. Buffy looked pale and on edge, which was hardly surprising considering what she'd been through in the last twelve hours.



After thinking it over, Buffy agreed. "I guess I could eat a little something."





Tara went to the pantry, and opened the door. “We’ve got soup, canned spaghetti, ravioli, tuna, cereal,” she listed as she turned to look at William and Buffy. “Oh!" she added, “we’ve got some leftovers in the fridge, if you’d like.” Tara opened the fridge and

removed a foil covered plate.



“What is it?" William inquired.






“Roast beef with mashed potatoes,” Willow replied. “I made it myself!”



“Sounds good,” William said, then smiled at Buffy. "That all right with you, luv?"



Tara made William and Buffy a plate, put in the microwave. Buffy was still nervous and upset from their ordeal, and wasn’t quite as hungry as she'd led them to believe.



She managed to get a few bites down, then excused herself to go up to the guest room and lie down. She picked up her over night bag, and placed it on the bed.



Why does this have to happen? Just when I….we were happy, she thought as she began to cry.



Buffy sat down the bed, sobbing uncontrollably. She pulled herself together after a few minutes, and quickly changed into her pajamas; one of Williams’s old tee-shirts and a pair of blue pajama pants, then crawled into bed and let the tears trickle down her face once again.



**********************************************



Willow, Tara and William stayed in the family room, adjacent to the kitchen, to watch a little TV. There was a big picture window behind the black leather couch. Across from that was an armoire holding the TV, VCR, and DVD player, and the walls were adorned with different paintings that Tara had done over the years.



After awhile, they lost interest in the program. They were all worried about what Harmony was going to do next. William was more worried about Buffy than anything

else.



“Well, I think I’m gonna call it a night," William announced, rising from the couch. "I really want to put an end to this day."



“I don't blame you," Willow replied. “We won't be far behind."



“Good night,” Willow and Tara both said in unison.



“Good night...and thanks a lot.”



“No problem," Tara said, giving him a hug. "That's what we're here for."


He walked through the kitchen, up a small step to the foyer and climbed the stairs, feeling emotionally exhausted. He knew he’d as soon as his head hit the pillow, he’d be asleep.



The guest room was as attractively decorated as the rest of the house. There was a queen sized bed, with nightstands on either side of it, a large oak armoire with a matching dresser, and an armchair next to a large picture window. The walls were

painted a soothing shade of cream, and were decorated with more of Tara's art work.



Buffy was lying on the bed, still crying. When William came in, she quickly wiped her tear streaked face on her sleeve.



“I’m ok," she said. "I’m just really tired.”



She was lying, and he knew it, but he wasn’t going to say anything. They'd had enough trouble for one night, and there was no point in upsetting her more than she already was.



William grabbed his night bag, and changed into pajama bottoms. Usually, he didn't bother wearing anything to bed, but he felt strange doing that in someone else's house. Sitting down beside, he gently rubbed her back.



“Everything will be all right, luv," he said quietly. "I promise."



“I know," she said. "I just need to sleep." She pulled away from him and slid under the covers.



“Okay. I'll be right back. Just gonna hit the bathroom.” he told her. Grabbing his toothbrush and toothpaste, he went across the hall to the bathroom.



He was back five minutes later. He slid under the covers, kissed her again, and shortly after his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light.



Buffy, however, lay awake long into the night. Nervous and a little sad, she was strangely afraid to go to sleep, worried that Harmony might pop out of the shadows and do something horrible.

********************************************






After William went to bed, Willow and Tara followed soon after. Their bedroom was the nicest of the house. At the opposite end of the hall, it had a set of elaborately carved double doors. On the far left was a dresser and a vanity table, it's mirror reflecting the huge king sized bed they shared. Their's was the only room with a private bath.



Willow came out of the bathroom ready for bed. Her lover was already there, reading the latest best seller by Tom Clancy. When Willow slipped into bed, Tara closed the book and placed it on her nightstand.



“What is it, sweetie?” Tara asked as she kissed Willow. "You look upset."



“I’m worried about Buffy,” Willow said uneasily. “She was pretty shaken tonight. I just hope that they catch that psycho soon. I don’t know how much more trauma Buffy can take right now.”



“While we were eating, she was so distant. I don’t know what I’d do in her situation. I just hope she knows that she can come to us, if she needs to talk."




“She knows. But Buffy's so damn independent, you know? She just has to do things for herself.”



“Everything will be okay," Tara said. "The police will catch her, and William and Buffy can go on with their lives and get married."



“I hope you’re right.”



“I am. Let's get some sleep.”



*********************************************



Buffy was still wide awake at 3 am. As her anxiety mounted, she snuggled up against William for comfort.



Half asleep, William said, “Love, what is it?”



“Nothing really. I just can't sleep."



He rolled over so that he could look her in the eye. “I’m here. You have nothing to worry about. I won't let anyone hurt you," he said, wrapping protective arms around her.



She smiled weakly. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”



“Not that I can recall,” he said coyly.



“Well, I do. I-I love you more every day. I don’t ever want to lose you."



“Honey, you're not gonna lose me. Not ever. I love you too, and I'll still be standing next to you when we're old and falling apart," he teased, giving her a sound kiss on the lips. "Try and sleep now, luv. I’m totally exhausted, and I'm pretty sure that you are, too.”



Buffy nodded, laying her head on his shoulder, and draping one arm across his waist. "Good night, William," she murmured, closing her eyes.



"Night, luv."

***********************************************






The next morning, search warrant in hand, the police raided Harmony Kendall’s apartment.



The apartment was only a block away from the television station, a small studio with a kitchen nook, and a tiny bathroom.



There wasn't much there. A futon, a few boxes of books and CDs, and a hotplate. The

closet was empty, except for a few bent coat hangers.



“It looks like she knew we were coming," Officer Jones said, as he made his notes.



In the very back of the closet, they found a box containing the items that William had reported as missing.




“Bag it up,” Lieutenant Smith ordered the CSI team. The forensic team took finger prints and photographs of all the evidence before it was bagged.



“I think that's pretty much all we're gonna get," Smith said a few minutes later. "Let's get back to the station and get an arrest warrant issued. I want to catch this nut before she hurts someone."



Before leaving, they sealed the front door with yellow tape that proclaimed the apartment a crime scene, warning people not to cross it.



**********************************************

Anya sat up in the bed on Sunday morning, and looked over at her clock on her nightstand. It read 7:30 am. She was feeling apprehensive about blurting out the news to her friends the night before, and because of that, hadn't slept very well. She looked over at Xander, who was sound asleep and decided to wake him up.



“Xander.” She poked his side.



He didn’t move.



“XANDER!” she yelled in his ear.



This woke him instantly.



“What is it?” He asked half asleep. “Is it the baby?” He quickly sat up.



“No,” she pouted.



“Then what is it?” He sat up, looking concerned.



“Was it the right time to tell them?” she asked, “with everything that was happening yesterday?”



“Anya, honey, if we’d waited much longer, THEY would have told US," he pointed out with a smile.



“I guess you’re right.”



“Maybe it wasn’t the perfect time, but you do what you have to do.” He rubbed her stomach. “Don't worry so much. Everything will be okay with Buffy and William.”



Anya pushed the blankets off , swung her legs out of the bed, and put her feet in her slippers. “I would like to go over to Willow and Tara’s later."



Xander looked over at the clock on the night stand as Anya rose to her feet.



“Uh, Anh...you do know it’s still pretty early in the morning?”



She turned around to look him in the eye. “Of course.”



“Then why are you getting up?"



“For the same reason I got up six times during the night," she said, disappearing into the bathroom.



“Oh,” was all he managed to say before he rolled over.



Anya came out of the bathroom a few minutes later. “I’m going back to sleep for a little while, then we can call.” She kicked off her slippers and slid under the covers, snuggling up close to her husband.



“Mmm-hmmm,” he said, already half asleep.



***********************************************

Harmony hadn't slept at all. She'd spent the night keeping an eye on the brownstone across the street, waiting for William to return at some point, while she made a check list. For her plan to work, she'd need some supplies. First and foremost, she had to put together a disguise of some sort. She wasn't going to take any chances on getting caught. Not now that she was so close to getting what she wanted...William.



She went over to a box at the far end of the living room, opened it, revealing a selection of wigs in all different styles and colors. Harmony pulled out a handful of auburn colored hair, styled in a short bob.



She went into the bathroom to see what she’d look like with it. It framed her face nicely, brushing against her jaw line. It made her took totally different. With different makeup and a change in clothing style, her own mother wouldn't know her.



Back in the bedroom, she opened the closet door and pulled out a black pair of slacks. They were tighter than she usually wore them, and flared out at the bottom. Next, she pulled out a dull gray shirt with a half zip, then put on a pair of old sandals she had. When she was satisfied with her clothing choice, she returned to the bathroom and applied a great deal of make up, using colors she'd never worn before.



When she was finished, she smiled at herself in the mirror. I can get in and out and no one will recognize me.



She went into the living room, picked up her list and a pair of sunglasses, and went out the back door. She had sold her old red Escort and bought a used Volkswagen beetle,

painted a nondescript shade of brown.



A few minutes later she pulled into a parking spot at Home Depot. She moved through the store quickly, checking off each item on her list. She picked up duct tape and a piece of strong rope, then proceeded to the checkout line, paying for her purchases in cash.



In her car, she studied the list of things she still needed. Her next stop was Sunnydale Memorial Hospital. She parked near the exit doors and grabbed a bag from the back seat of her car.



Inside, she pasted on a smile and headed for the reception desk.



“Hi. Can I help you," the volunteer manning the desk asked pleasantly.



“I’m new here. First day and all," Harmony said. "Can you tell me where the restroom is?”



“Sure, it’s down this hall,” she pointed to the left... “second door on the right. You can’t miss it.”



“Thank you.”



Once in the bathroom, she closed the door behind her, locked it, and she quickly changed into a pair of blue scrubs she'd once worn to a Halloween party.



When she was dressed, she hid the bag with her clothes in a supply closet. Unlocking the door, she peeked out, then headed for the elevator.



She found what she wanted on the fifth floor...a nurses station with no one around. She ambled along causally, making her way towards the supply room. Stepping inside, she scanned the shelves for the sedatives, then wrapped a towel around her hand and knocked out a section of the glass door and grabbed a bottle. She used the stairs to return to the lobby, quickly changed back into her street clothes, left the hospital and went back to her apartment.



********************************************



Buffy woke up in William’s arms. She didn’t care what time it was, or where they were. All she wanted to do was watch him sleep. He was her whole world. No matter how scared she was, she didn’t want to run away and hide. Wherever William was, that's where she would be, too.



He never looked more beautiful than he does at this very moment, she realized. She traced the line of his cheek, his eyes, his nose, and finally his mouth. He began to stir, and she quickly moved her hand away. He moved closer to her, but he was still asleep.



A few minutes later, he woke up. She smiled at him.



“Hey,” he said, half asleep, pulling her close for a kiss.



“Hey, yourself,” she said, feeling a bit dizzy from the kiss.



“How long you been awake, love?”



“Not long.”



“What were you doing?” he asked, although he knew she'd been watching him. She did that from time to time, especially when she was worried about something, and needed reassurance.



“I was just…watching you.” She looked away, her cheeks turning pink.



He turned her so she’d look at him. “Sweetheart, don’t be embarrassed.”



“I'm not," she insisted. "You just looked so beautiful to me in the morning light."



“Nope, you’re the beautiful one,” he said, kissing her once again, leaving her breathless and wanting more.



“Make love to me, William. Make me forget all about yesterday,” she pleaded, kissing him.



“What, here? Now? They’ll hear us."



“You’ll just have to be quiet,” she teased.



“Hey, I’m not the noisy one. You take the prize for that,” he teased right back.



She playfully slapped him. William grabbed her shoulders and pulled her down on top of him, kissing her passionately.



**********************************************

Willow and Tara woke up an half hour later. The couple went into the bathroom together, brushed their hair and teeth, and proceeded back into their bedroom to get dressed.



As they were leaving their room, they heard giggles from the guest room. Tara and Willow smiled at one another and went downstairs quietly so they wouldn’t disturb their friends.



“I’m so happy that they are trying to gain some semblance of normality from this mess,” Willow said, as they entered into the kitchen.



“Me too. Maybe something good will come of their…um…giggling,” Tara replied with a laugh.



Willow turned the coffee pot on, and then she grabbed two bagels down from the bread box and popped them into the toaster. Tara took a carton of cream cheese from the fridge, and the couple sat down at the table, waiting for the coffee to brew.



When the coffee was ready, William and Buffy came down stairs hand in hand, dressed in jeans and tee-shirts. The blonde couple walked into the kitchen with bright smiles on their faces.



“Good morning,” Willow greeted.



“Morning,” William and Buffy replied in unison.



They sat down at the table as Willow got up, grabbed four coffee cups and poured the coffee. Just then the phone rang. William and Buffy’s smiles faded. They were sure it was the police calling with bad news.



“It’s ok. It’s probably some telemarketer,” Tara reassured, hoping to make the situation better.



Willow quickly answered, “Hello…Oh, hi Xander. How are you and Anya?…Yeah…Ok…Yeah…That’s fine…Come over anytime…Yep…Everyone’s up…Yeah we can do that…Sure…Bye.”



Willow hung up the phone and turned to William, Buffy and Tara. “Xander and Anya want to come over later. They just want to make sure you guys are all right and they wanted to do something with us. Get away for the afternoon or something."



“That sounds like fun,” Tara answered. "What do you think?" She smiled at William and Buffy.



“Sure, I wouldn’t mind getting away for the day,” William replied, looking at Buffy. “What do you say, love?”



“I’d like that,” Buffy smiled. "Count me in."

A nurse had come back from her break when another nurse came out of the supply room, carefully holding two large chunks of broken glass.

“What happened?” Jane inquired.



“I’m not sure. I went to help a patient, and when I returned, the cabinet was broken into,” Molly replied. “I’m gonna get my ass chewed out for this.” She threw the glass in the trash.



“It’s not your fault. I took a little longer than I needed.”



Molly didn’t say anything because it was true. There should have been someone else here. She sat down and called her supervisor. “Hello, this is Molly at the fifth floor nurses station... We’ve got a problem...The supply cabinet was broken into…No I was with a patient….She was on her break when it happened…Ok...Bye.”



Molly turned around to look Jane in the eye.



“What? What did Marie say?”



“She’s not pleased, but since the hospital is short staffed, there’s nothing that she can do, and we should have called another nurse from another floor.”



Jane sat down across from Molly.



“Is she gonna call the police?”



“Yeah, I guess. They need to be notified about this.”



Twenty minutes later, an African American officer stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the nurse’s station.



“Heard you had a little excitement around here."



“Hi,” Molly greeted. “Someone broke into our supply room."



"Uh-huh. Tell me what happened."



“I was with a patient and Jane was on her break."



“Yes, I was out just a bit longer than I was supposed to have been,” Jane replied.



The officer made notes as the women related the story to him.



“May I see the cabinet?” he asked.




"Follow me.” Molly rose to her feet and crossed to the supply room, waiting for Officer Jones to join her.



“What came up missing?” he asked, surveying the damage.



“Some sedatives," she explained. "A class IV narcotic."



Taking a closer look at the crime scene, he made a few more notes, then

closed his book.



“We'll get someone up here to dust for finger prints, and I'll see if I can’t interview some other people as well. We’ll get back with you as soon as we hear anything. Thanks for your help.”



Back down in the lobby, the officer stopped to speak with the receptionist.



“Hello ma’am. I’m Officer Jones with the Sunnydale PD. I just need to ask you a few questions, if that’s all right with you?”



“Oh sure, sure. What can I help you with, officer?”



“One of the medicine cabinets had been broken into on the fifth floor,” He began to explain, but she interrupted him.



“Oh dear.”



“What? Did you see anything or anyone unusual? Someone you didn’t know perhaps?”



The older woman thought for a few moments before speaking.



“Ah, let me see…Oh yes, there was a new nurse that asked where the rest room was this morning.”



“What’d she look like?”



“Red hair about here,” She gestured along her jaw line. “Petite. Light skinned. She was wearing a gray shirt and black flair pant I believe. She said it was her first day here."



He scribbled down this new information.



“Thank you ma’am. If you can think of any more details, please call me at the police department," he said, handing her his card.



“Oh, I will officer.” She smiled. “I hope you catch who ever did it.”



Jones excused himself and called his superior once again, letting him know of the lead he had. When the CSI team arrived, Jones instructed them to the restroom. He knew that there would be tons of finger prints, but it was worth a shot.



Half hour later, the team had all that they were going to get. Officer Jones interviewed a few more people, but no one was able to shed any more light on the break in. When he was satisfied, he and the team left, heading back to the precinct.



****************************************

Anya had called them back around ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />11:30, telling them to meet with her and Xander at Brandywine Country Club for lunch, and maybe a movie afterwards. Whatever it was, it was her treat.



Anya’s parents were very wealthy, but she wanted to make it on her own, so she chose to work with Buffy and Willow at The Magic Box. But that didn’t mean she wouldn't take advantage of their position, at least when it came to little things such as going to the country club, and facials for the girls.



She wanted to do something special for William and Buffy. Anya felt horrible about blurting out her news to them like that on such a hellish day. They'd probably wonder what in the world was wrong with her, but she didn't let that stop her.



I’m allowed to show off my sensitive side once in a awhile, she thought to herself after she hung up from speaking with Willow.



Willow was a little taken aback by Anya's generous offer. She didn’t know what to think, but figured she'd best take advantage of it while she could.



They had been in the family room watching television when Anya had called. Tara, William and Buffy waited patiently until Willow was off the phone. They noticed that Willow looked a little perplexed and called her on it.



“What is it?” Buffy asked.



Willow looked at each of them. “Nothing. Nothing at all. It’s something that Anya said to me.”

”What?” Tara asked.



“She’s offering to take us to the country club for lunch and afterwards facials for us girls,” Willow explained.





“Wow,” Buffy said shocked. “It’s not very often she does something like that. Better take her up on her offer.” She laughed. “Sounds like us girls are going to have fun.”



“What do Xander and I do, while you lovely ladies get beautified?” William wondered, feeling a bit left out. Buffy picked up on it right away, and squeezed his hand that she had been holding. William smiled back at her. He didn’t want to be away from her, but he knew she needed something like this, especially with the weekend they were having. It was supposed to be their anniversary. One she’ll never forget. I should have just packed her up and taken her to Dad’s country house for the weekend. Maybe this Harmony crap wouldn’t be happening at all. Damn! William chastised himself over and over, thinking this was all his fault.



“I think she was mumbling something about you and Xander going to a game or something afterwards,” Willow said, trying to remember everything Anya told her.



Buffy noticed he was thinking. She could always tell when something was bothering him, even when he’d put a brave face on.



“Would you excuse us?” Buffy said to Willow and Tara. “I need to speak with William for a moment.” Buffy pulled William up with her and they went upstairs to the guest room. As they sat on the bed, she looked at him with concern. “Honey, is there something wrong?”





“I just don’t want to be away from you today.” William rose to his feet, running his hands through his hair as he paced. “This was supposed to be our anniversary weekend. We were supposed to be shagging ourselves senseless. How did I let this Harmony thing go so damn far? I should have taken care of this a long time, ago and fired her ass…Bloody hell, why didn’t I just take you away for the weekend? We could have gone to Dad’s country house. He’s in England right now at some book convention. He wouldn’t have minded if we used it for the weekend.”



“William,” she called to him, hoping he’d stop pacing and listen, but he didn’t. She rose to her feet and went over to him. Face to face, she stared into his beautiful blue eyes. She almost let herself drown in them, but she stopped herself, needing to say what she was thinking. “I'm worried too, William. I’m scared shitless...I don’t know what to do…I don’t know what the hell she’s going to do next.” He began to speak, but she stopped him by placing a finger on his lips. “No, let me finish please.” He listened to what she had to say next. “We can’t let that woman run our lives. We have to go on. If we sit in the corner and hide, she wins William. We can’t give her the power.”



William cupped her face in his hands, brought her face close to his and kissed her soundly. “I love you, you know that?”



“Yes,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. “I love you too.” She kissed him back. “When this is over, we’ll go to Giles’ place and do all the things you suggested, but today, we’ll have fun with our friends, then come back and make up for lost time.” She raised her eyebrow seductively.



He kissed her once again, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.



“Is everything ok?” Tara asked from the other side of the door.



William and Buffy collected themselves before answering. Buffy opened the door and noticed the concerned look on Tara’s face.



“Is everything ok?” she asked again.



“Yep, everything's fine,” Buffy said, forcing a smile.



“Willow is downstairs waiting. You still want to go?” Tara asked uncertainly.



“Oh sure, we’re going, aren’t we William?” Buffy interlaced her fingers with his.



“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” William responded with a smile.



*********************************************



Harmony, in the red wig, drove by Willow and Tara’s home, just as William, Buffy, Tara and Willow exited the house, and climbed into William's car. She decided to pull in someone’s driveway down a little ways from Willow and Tara’s, so she wouldn't be conspicuous. Once they drove away, Harmony followed slowly behind them.



Ten minutes later they pulled into Brandywine Country Club parking lot. It was modest looking compared to other country clubs around Sunnydale. The building was built around a lush garden with a cherub fountain.



From where they parked, they could see a pool, the club house, and the pro golf shop. The golf course was 18 holes of wonderfully landscaped grounds. As the group walked in, they were treated to a large picture window view of the garden.



The hostess smiled as they made their way up to the desk.



“How may I help you?” the young brunette woman asked.



“We’re here for the Jenkins’s party,” Willow replied.



The woman scanned down her guest sheet and looked up once again.



“Ah, yes, they are already waiting in the Chardonnay Room.”



“Which way?” Willow asked.



“Down that hall,” She pointed to the left. “Sixth door on the left, you can’t miss it.”



“Thank you,” the group replied and headed down the hall.



The door was marked with the name Chardonnay Room. In the back, they could see their friends. Willow noticed the wall of tall windows off to the right, which gave them another clear view of the grounds.



“Hello,” Anya greeted waving her hands excitedly.



Willow, Tara, William and Buffy each took a seat around the table. The table had a floral arrangement in the center. The plates, silverware, glass, and napkins were all set up with care.



“Hi guys,” Xander said, once they were all seated.


”This is a nice place,” Willow commented as she looked around.



“The parental units come here all the time,” Anya replied casually. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.” She hailed a waiter over. The others picked up their menu and quickly looked over what they wanted.



************************************************

Harmony walked in a few minutes after they did. There was a couple talking to the hostess and she stayed behind the couple. When they went towards the dining area, she told the young woman she was with them.



Once in the dining room, Harmony walked to the bar on the left and sat down on a stool. She had a perfect view of her obsession through the mirror in front of her, and she smiled bitterly.



Now I’ve got you, right where I want you!



She watched as they all went about having a good time, ordering a drink and waiting to make her move.



Fifteen minutes later, the group’s lunch arrived. While waiting, Buffy excused herself to the rest room. As the gentleman, William rose from his chair, and pulled Buffy’s chair away from her as she stood. When she was out of sight, he sat down, not noticing the woman who followed after her.



*****************************************

Buffy pushed the door opened as someone shoved her from behind into the restroom. Before Buffy realized it, she was on the floor. Rolling over, she saw a woman with red hair locking the ladies room door.



“What are you doing?” Buffy asked nervously.



The woman turned around slowly, removing her wig.



“Harmony,” Buffy whispered.






TBC...

AN: Thanks Patty. Without your help, this wouldn't be as good as it is.





Buffy scrambled to get to her feet as Harmony took large strides towards her.

“Please!! PLEASE!!” she begged. “Please, don’t hurt me!”


Buffy had always believed she would be able to protect herself if this sort of a situation came up, but panic was rapidly taking over, and she wasn’t able to think straight. Tears sprang to Buffy’s eyes as her feet slipped out from under her.



Harmony pulled something out of her jacket pocket and before Buffy knew what was happening, her world was going black, and she whispered William’s name as she hit the floor.


“Well, that was almost too easy,” Harmony observed.


She needed to get Buffy out of there fast, without anyone suspecting something was wrong. She opened the door, and to her surprise there was a laundry cart sitting outside. Harmony looked down both ends of the hallway. There was no one anywhere around, so she pulled the cart into the restroom.



She picked up Buffy without any problems, and set her in the cart. Placing the soiled linen around Buffy’s body to hide it, she opened the door once again, and looked down the halls to make sure they were still empty. She pushed it out into the hallway, and proceeded to the exit without any problems.


Once she arrived at her car; she opened the trunk, and placed Buffy inside. Only it looked like something else entirely. She got into her car and drove away.


************************************


Twenty minutes passed and Buffy still hadn't returned to the table. The others were engrossed in their food and conversation, but William was beginning to get nervous.


Where is she? He checked his watch for the third time in five minutes.


?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Willow finally noticed that William was getting antsy, and looked over at Buffy’s chair,

surprised to see that it was still empty.


“William?” Willow ventured.


“Hmm?" he replied absently, once again checking his watch to make sure it was still running.



“She hasn’t come back.” Willow stated the obvious, looking concerned. The others looked up from their meals.





“No, she hasn't. Would you go into the rest room and see if everything is ok?”


“Sure, no problem.” Willow rose from her seat and left the dining area. As she walked down the hall, she began to get an uneasy feeling. Dread. She pushed the door open, and walked in. There was a red wig on the floor in front of her, but Buffy wasn't in any of the stalls. She bent down and picked up the hairpiece. “Oh god…something's wrong." She turned and ran back to the dining area.


When she returned to the table, she walked up to William, touched his shoulder and he turned around. The look on her face said it all for him. “Buffy…she wasn’t in there…was she?”


“No, William. I’m sorry. I did find this.” She handed him the wig.


“Bloody hell!” He threw the wig down on the table and he pulled out his cell to dial 911. “This is William Giles...I’d like to report a kidnapping...My girlfriend went to the restroom about a half hour ago and never returned....We had an incident with a stalker yesterday and our house was broken into...Yes, that's me…She’s about 5’2, 100 pounds, blonde hair and green eyes….Buffy Summers…Yes...I’m at Brandywine Country Club...It's at the end of Mill Pond Road...Hurry, damn it!” He flipped the phone shut and placed it back in his pocket.



“William, why didn’t you tell them about the wig?” Tara asked with concern.


“I don’t know,” said William, simply.


Willow sat next to him and squeezed his hand. “We'll get her back, don’t worry.”


He ran his hands through his hair. “It has to be Harmony. God...what if she hurts her?"



Willow leaned over and hugged him. “It’ll be ok, Will. You’ll see. The police will catch her, and Buffy will be all right. Have faith."


Anya and Xander shared a worried glance. He pulled her to him and held her closely.


***********************************************

The 911 operator put the call out to all available officers and Officer Michael’s picked it up. He was in the vicinity and he said he’d handle it and let them know what he found out.


In the forensic lab, the hair sample that had been removed from the Giles/Summers home had been tested. It did not belong to either resident. Further testing matched it up with a strand of hair taken from Harmony's apartment.



******************************************


Two police cars arrived at the country club a short time later. As they pulled up, they noticed the laundry cart being hauled back inside. They called out to the young man taking it in. He stopped and turned around.


“Yes, officer?”


The other officer went inside.


“Was that left in the parking lot here?”


“Yes, sir, it was.” The young man was confused. "I don't know why. Our deliveries don't through the front entrance."


“There was an abduction that took place here, and that may have been used in the crime.”


“Should I just leave it here?” he asked.


The officer put the car in park and turned off the car and followed. “Where did you find it?”


The young man pushed it back to the spot he’d seen it in. “Right about here.”


The cart had been left by the fence in the back of the parking lot. Officer Jones taped it off quickly, and headed inside to interview other people.


Officer Michaels was directed to the Chardonnay Room. He took a deep breath before entering the room. Most officers dread when their jobs especially when they had give bad news and he just hoped that this wasn’t going to end that way, as he got closer to William.


Willow noticed the officer first and told William. He looked up just as the officer stopped in front of him.


“William Giles?” The officer asked.


“Yes, I’m him.”


“Can you tell me what happened?”


“My girlfriend, she excused herself to go to the restroom and never returned,” said a worried William.


“And, I went into the restroom and found this.” Willow picked up the wig and handed it to the officer.


“I think it was Harmony Kendal. She’s been stalking me, and recently broke into my home yesterday," William added.


The officer looked to other couple. “Did you two notice anything out of the ordinary?”


“No, officer,” Xander began as he looked at Anya. “We were eating our lunch. We didn’t know anything was wrong.”


“I didn’t see anything either,” she responded.


Officer Jones walked up to everyone. He had interviewed the receptionist, who had informed him that she’d seen a woman in a red wig. She had fit the description of the young woman who was seen at the hospital previously. He pulled the other officer off the side, and told him of his findings. They both excused themselves to check the crime scene and taped it off, so no possible evidence could be damaged.


The prints were barely visible, but a trained crime scene investigator would spot it in a minute. One of the investigators set his box down, opened it up, and pulled out a brush and his powder. He then applied the brush to the powder, and brushed it over the print. In no time the print was viewable and he set down his tools and grabbed a clear sheet of tape backed with white cardboard. He opened it up, placed the tape over it, and it copied the print, and then pulled the tape off revealing a clean print, placing the tape back on the cardboard. The investigator put the print in an evidence bag, placed his tools back in, and he was off again.


********************************************

Officer Jones had returned to William and his friends.He explained that they had a possible suspect, and the prints that they had found should confirm the identity. He went on to tell them that a warrant had been issued, and that the entire Sunnydale PD would be looking for Buffy.This wasn't a lot of comfort for the people who loved her.


Before leaving, Officer Jones said, “The best thing you can do now is go home. We'll let you know if anything develops.


William wanted answers and he wasn’t getting them. He just stood there clenching his jaw.


“I suppose, we should, ya know go home, William.” Willow put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her with fear in his eyes. “Officer, you’ll be able to reach us at this number, in case anything should…happen.” She handed him a piece of paper with their number on it.

***********************************************



Twenty minutes later, Harmony sat Buffy down in a chair in the living room and tied her up tightly, then went about her business in another room.


A little while later, Buffy started to come to. Her head swayed a little back and forth until she was able to hold it up. Her vision was a little blurry, but she could make out shapes and sizes. She blinked a few times as she looked around her surroundings. She didn’t recognize where she was, and she began to panic. Tears spilled from her eyes, and then she thought of William and how worried he must be.


She started to remember what happened back at the country club.


“Oh god, Harmony,” she whispered, terrified. The thought of never seeing William again scared her beyond all belief.


A noise could be heard from another part of the house, and then she heard footsteps. She let her head sink and closed her eyes quickly when the door to the room opened.


Harmony walked over to Buffy, and poured a freezing cold cup of water over Buffy’s head. Buffy inhaled deeply and she quickly looked up at Harmony through clenched teeth. Buffy soon started to shiver from the shock.


“Oh sorry,” Harmony said, mocking Buffy. “Was that cold?”


Buffy didn’t say anything, just glared at Harmony.


“That’s what I thought!” Harmony sneered at her prisoner.


“Why am I here?” Buffy finally asked, but already knew the answer.


“It’s simple my dear Elizabeth,” Harmony said, using Buffy’s real name for gesture. “I want William. The only way I can have him, is by getting rid of…you.” A smile crept on her face. “Then he and I can be together, like we were always meant to be.”


“If you think you’ll get William by doing this you are fucking insane, you psychotic bitch! He loves me. He’ll always love me! Can’t you understand that?” Buffy held back the tears that had been welling up in her eyes again. She wasn’t about to let Harmony have the upper hand.


Harmony backed handed Buffy, who went flying back, still in the chair. Harmony took a deep breath, dismissing Buffy’s accusations.


“It’s simply not true.” She walked over to Buffy and looked down at her. “When he has sex with you, he thinks of me.” Harmony smiled dreamily as she picked Buffy up off the floor.


“And that’s why he calls out MY name when we MAKE LOVE!"


That was all it took to send Harmony over the edge. She quickly pulled out a bottle from her back pocket, while Buffy watched her.


“Wh-what are you d-doing?” Buffy asked with a tear rolling down her cheek.


Harmony pulled a syringe out, stuck it in the vial and loaded it, then jabbed it painfully into Buffy's arm.


“What did you do? What...what was…?” Buffy asked, and then her world went black.


“Good, that’ll keep you quiet for a while,” said Harmony.


******************************************
William had been pacing a hole in the carpet, praying silently for some sort of news about Buffy. As the time slowly crawled by, he became more and more agitated and frustrated, hating his helplessness.


The others tried several times to get William to sit down and stay calm, but he would have none of it. Nothing would calm him until he had Buffy safe in his arms.


After telling them all to sod off five different times, they finally left him to his pacing and went to wait in the front room.


“William is starting to worry me,” Willow said, breaking the silence that had been building between them. “I'm afraid he's going to do something rash.”


“You don’t think he would, do you?” Tara asked as she sat down next to Anya.


”I think he would," Anya interjected. "Wouldn't anyone...when the person they love is in danger?"


Willow sighed, “That’s not what I wanted to hear," she said, sitting down in the chair across from the couch.


“Relax girls. William isn't stupid. He’ll do the smart thing and wait for the cops,” Xander told them. At least I hope so.


***********************************************

Later that night Harmony watched Buffy sleep, a smile creeping on to her face when she realized it looked like she was dead.


“Too bad it isn't true," she sighed.


Harmony grabbed her cell phone and dialed a number. The call was picked up after one ring.


“Hello?" a worried voice answered.


“Hello, William.”


“Harmony?" William said, his voice shaky with anger.


“Now, now, speak nicely William,” Harmony warned, looking at Buffy.


She heard William take a deep breath, and waited for him to speak.


“I want to know Buffy is all right," he said, struggling for control.


“Oh, she's a little tied up at the moment." She laughed at her own joke, giving William a shiver up his spine.



“I swear to you...I SWEAR...if you so much as TOUCH her...I will hunt you down and break your fucking neck!” William yelled, alerting the gang from the other room.


“Hey! What did I just say? You be nice William, or you‘ll never see her again,” Harmony said, putting emphasis on 'never'.


“All right, all right Harmony," he said quickly. "Just what the hell do you want?” Stupid question and you’re gonna get a stupid answer, mate.


“It’s very simple William, I want YOU. I’ve always wanted you, since the first time I laid eyes on you.”


William felt nausea coming on, but he took a deep, cleansing breath and forced it back down.


“What do you want me to do?” he asked calmly.


“I want you to meet me at your house. And come alone!”


Harmony hung up the phone, happily at what she accomplished. She went into bathroom to get reading for her meeting with William. Soon he’ll be mine. I'll make him understand that's the way it should be...I'll convince him....





************************************************

“Bloody psycho,” William cursed. He turned and was startled when he saw the others

standing behind him. "Shit!"


“Sorry, William,” Willow apologized. “We heard you yelling and we came in to see if you were okay."


“Fine,” he muttered, then threw the phone against the wall, shattering it in a million pieces, scaring his friends. “I’m fine now.” He rubbed his face. “Just fine."


“What did she say?" Tara asked, calmly.


“She wants me to meet her at my house."


“You can’t do that, William,” Willow said, rushing her statement. “You don’t know what she’ll do.”


“I don’t care," he said, walking out of the room with no intention of being stopped or delayed. "She has Buffy. I'm going."


Willow quickly picked up the phone and dialed the police. "Officer Jones gave me this number....I need to speak with him about Buffy Summers....Thank you."



“This is Officer Jones," the voice on the other end replied. "Who's this?"


“This is Willow Rosenberg. I'm a friend of Buffy's. We spoke this afternoon?"


“Oh yes, Ms. Rosenberg. Has something happened?"


“William received a call from Harmony just a few minutes ago. She wants him to meet her at his house.”


“When?" he asked sharply.


“Now...and he's already left."


“Okay, Ms. Rosenberg. We’ll take care of it."



*****************************************************






William pulled up in front of his house. Harmony was waiting for him, heavily made up and wearing something he supposed had been chosen to arouse him.


William took a few deep cleansing breaths, and stepped out of the car.


“Hello, William. I’m so glad that you could make it,” Harmony said, stopping in front of him.


“Harmony.”


“Turn around…you see that house across the street?”


“Yes,” William turned around.


“We’re going over there.” She pointed a gun to his back.


“Harmony, what are you doing?”


“Now, William!"


Harmony and William crossed the street and went into the house. As soon as they crossed the threshold, he saw Buffy slumped over in the chair. Panic slide into him, but he tried to keep his voice calm.


“What did you do to her?”


“Nothing. She’s just asleep.”


“I’m here now. So, let her go.”


“It's not that easy, William."


She pushed him into the house and then she closed the door.



William turned to face her. "All right, Harmony. Just cut the shit and tell me exactly what you want from me."



“You should know that by now.” She lashed out suddenly with the gun, slamming it into the side of his head. William’s world went back as he collapsed to the floor.


TBC.....

A little while later, William woke to find himself tied up. He looked around and saw Buffy at the end of the bed, slumped over in the chair, also tied up.

“Bloody hell,” he swore under his breath. He tried pulling the on the ropes, but they were too tight. “Buffy, love, wake up,” he called to her. She didn’t move and he began to get worried, fearing the worst had already happened. “Love, it’s time to wake up.” He tugged at the ropes again, but the knots just became tighter. “Shit.”



Harmony came in from the other room and William closed his eyes. He didn’t want her to know that he was awake, or that his head was aching miserably from the blow she'd struck.



She walked over towards Buffy, and slapped the side of her face. Startled awake, she blinked a few times before glaring up at Harmony.

When I get out of this, I’m going to kick your ass, you stupid, blonde, bitch!

“Have you seen who our guest is?” Harmony asked, walking over towards William and sitting next to him. William remained still, praying that Buffy was unharmed. She hadn’t spoken a word since she'd awakened.



Buffy looked over and saw William, her eyes wide with shock. "William!"

"That's right." Harmony began caressing his cheek. “William, honey, wake up for Harmony.”



He slowly opened his eyes and stared up at her, wondering if this nightmare was ever going to end.

She smiled down at him, content that he was finally where she wanted him to be...where he belonged.

Leaning over, she kissed him, making sure to angle her body so that Buffy didn't miss a thing.

Don’t let it get to you...don't let it get to you. Setting her jaw, Buffy watched calmly.

William didn’t respond to the kiss, angering Harmony. She rose up onto her knees and straddled his waist.

Buffy wanted more than anything to pull Harmony away from William and throw her across the room, hopefully splitting her skull in the process.

Harmony lowered her head and kissed him again, trying to push her tongue past his clenched teeth and into his mouth. When she finally pulled away to let him take a breath, he forced himself to smile. "Listen, love...I want you, but I'm not gonna do this with an audience. Get rid of her," he jerked his head towards Buffy. "I want to be alone with you."

“Are you satisfied?" Buffy asked bitterly. "He's all yours. Let me go.”

Harmony turned her head, and William was able to see Buffy's face. He hated having to say such things, but promised himself that he would make it up to her once he had her safely away from here. For now, all he could do was play up to Harmony and hope Buffy would understand and forgive him.

"I don't think so," Harmony said, smiling like a satisfied cat.

"Why?" Buffy asked. "You have William now. What more do you want?"


"I want you to suffer. I want you to watch him kiss me, and know that he'll never touch you again. I want to make you pay for every minute you kept him away from me," Harmony said, the smile fading from her face as her eyes became hard and cold.

*********************************************

Four patrol cars pulled up to the curb across the street from the house William and Buffy had once been so happy in. Although it appeared to be deserted, once of the policemen noticed William's car.

Two of the officers approached the car cautiously. When they had determined that it was empty, they opened it and checked for a registration confirming that the owner was William Giles.

The other officers began knocking on doors, asking all the neighbors if anyone had seen William come home. One person had been outside watering her lawn, and reported seeing both Harmony and William go into the house together.



When this information was given him, Officer Michaels grabbed the bullhorn from the trunk of his cruiser. “Harmony Kendall!. This is the Sunnydale Police Department. We know you have two hostages in the house with you. You are instructed to come out of the house now, with your hands in plain view. Cooperate with us, and we'll try and help you, but only if you come out now!"

Flicking the 'off' switch, he waited for a reply.



***********************************************

Buffy quickly turned her head and met William's eyes for a moment when she heard the announcement from outside. The cavalry had finally arrived and freedom would surely follow.

Harmony behaved as though she heard nothing. She continued kissing and nuzzling William, trying to force a response out of him.

"Harmony!" Buffy was amazed at the other girl's behavior. Was she deaf as well as stupid? "HARMONY!"

Annoyed by the interruption, Harmony sat up and glared at Buffy. "What?" she whined, oblivious to the activity outside the house. "What the hell do you want now?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. It was so ridiculous that it was almost funny.

"The police are here, airhead" she reported. "They know you have us in here with you. Got anymore bright ideas?"

“I…I don't know,” Harmony whimpered. "William?" She sounded confused as she looked at him, as if she was waiting for him to tell her what she should do.

He smiled reassuringly. "It's all right, love. Just undo these ropes and I'll go out and talk to them. I'll tell them it was just a misunderstanding, and that everything's fine. Then you and me can get out of this shitty little town, just the two of us. The way it should have been all along...remember?"

Without hesitating, Harmony untied William's left hand.

His fist lashed out, punching her dead in the face, knocking her out cold. He pushed her off of him, untied the rest of the restraints, then unlocked the front door and admitted the police.

**********************************************


"Are you all right, love?" William asked, quickly untying Buffy's hands and feet. He checked her over, searching for any cuts or bruises Harmony may have inflicted. "I'm sorry I had to say those things, baby. I was just so afraid that she'd hurt you....I had to make her think I wanted her and it was the only thing I could think of to do."

Throwing the ropes onto the floor, Buffy glared at him.

William was stunned at the look she was giving him. "Buffy...honey, you believe me, don't you? You...you knew what I was doing?"

By this time the cops had revived Harmony. Buffy watched as they handcuffed her and marched her out of the house while informing her of her rights.

"Buffy?" William said again. "Are...are we still getting married, love?"

Giving him a long, measured look through slightly narrowed eyes, Buffy shrugged and turned away. "I think....that I'm going to need some time."





TBC.....

Weeks after the 'Harmony' problem, Buffy had still not reunited with William. Her head was telling her that he would never hurt her, that he loved her far too much. But even so, why had he let the whole mess go so far? His procrastination had nearly gotten her killed.


When she'd told him that she needed time, he hadn't been pleased. But, he had respected her decision, telling her that he would do whatever it would take to make things right again. There wasn't a chance in the world that he would give up on their love.

William knew he'd been foolish by not taking care of the Harmony problem when it first began to manifest itself, but he'd never dreamed that things would escalate the way they had. Had he a clue in the world that she'd been capable of doing such things, he'd have killed her himself long before she got anywhere near Buffy.

His friends kept in contact with him on a regular basis, keeping him informed as to how Buffy was faring in the aftermath of her ordeal. They were the only lifeline he had to her, and he clung to it desperately. Without them, he wouldn't be able to handle the separation.



******************************************************************

Harmony was never tried for the kidnapping of William and Buffy, the stalking, or for the break in at the hospital. Her lawyer accepted a plea bargain, and she was committed to the state hospital for the criminally insane until she was deemed no longer a threat to society.

*****************************************************************

William decided to take a leave from absence from his job. Not wanting to be alone in the home that he and Buffy had shared so happily, he moved in with his father. Buffy went to live with Willow and Tara.

Their apartment was leased to a new couple.

*****************************************************************

William paced the floor of his father’s study. It was an elegantly designed room. Everything had its place. The walls were covered with book shelves from floor to ceiling. An antique desk sat against the fair wall next to a bay window, and two brown leather couches were positioned in the middle of the room. Plush, deep green carpeting covered the floor, while expensive artwork decorated the walls.

Across from the couches was an elaborate fireplace, it's mantle adorned with trinkets from Rupert Giles’ many trips around the world. Some were from the medieval times, and most of them were unrecognizable, with a ritualistic-look. William didn't have a clue as to what they were for, and he wasn't sure he really wanted to know.

******************************************************************



"William, do please sit down. You're pacing is wearing a hole in my carpet."



William stopped long enough to glare at his father, then continued his pacing back and forth.

“Dad, I can’t wait too much longer. It’s killing me. I love her. I need her. She’s my whole world.” William’s voice began to crack. A tell tale sign that he was breaking down, but he tried to hold it back from his father. “I screwed up. I should have known... but I didn’t do anything until it was too late. If I had just fired Harmony when it all started, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Buffy and I would be married."

“I know." Rupert set his book down on the desk and gave his full attention to his son. “I’m sorry, William. I understand why you did what you did, but it’s up to her to make the next move.” He drew a handkerchief from his back pocket and removed his glasses to clean them. “Son, STOP PLEASE,” Giles scolded as he slid his glasses on his face once again. William stopped and sat down across from his father. “I can't think with all that pacing."

“I understand she needs time...but it’s been weeks. She hasn’t called...she won't see me. How are we ever going to work through this? I’m trying to give her space, but I need to know what she wants.” William’s rubbed his temple in frustration and then ran his hands through his blonde hair.

Giles had always disliked the color of his son's hair, much preferring the soft brown shade that he'd inherited from his mother, but he forced himself to disregard it and listen to the boy.

“Will, you can’t pressure Buffy into anything right now. That’ll just push her away even more. You know how stubborn she is,” Giles joked, hoping to lighten the serious mood.



A smile tugged at the corner of William’s lips. “That she is dad, that she is!” For the first time, he began to feel optimistic. He'd made a serious mistake, but surely she wouldn’t hold it against him forever.

She’ll come to me when she’s ready.



**************************************************************

Buffy went to work as usual, even though she didn’t feel much like it. She plastered a fake smile for when the customers entered, but as soon as they left, it disappeared. She was severely depressed, but didn't allow herself to give in to it.

Anya, whose pregnancy was really beginning to show, made silly jokes, trying to make Buffy laugh. But all she did was make her leave the Magic Box on the verge of tears. Once Buffy was outside, she forced back the sobs, took a few deeps breaths to calm herself, then caught a cab, and went back Willow and Tara’s.



Back inside, Anya looked to Willow. "What'd I say?"

"Nothing wrong," Willow assured her. "She's just not in the mood for jokes right now. She needs some time."

****************************************************************

Willow and Tara managed to talk Buffy into going out with them in the evening, just for a little 'girl's night out' type of fun, but Buffy just wasn’t into it. They would no sooner be seated and order drinks, than she would be excusing herself from the table to go into the restroom, where she would stare at her pale face in the bad overhead lighting, and wonder what the hell had gone wrong with her happy little life.

One evening in particular, she couldn't face returning to the table. She gave one of the waiters a note for her friends, telling them that she didn't want to spoil their good time, so she was just going to go on home.

When her cab pulled up in front of the house, Buffy saw that Xander was waiting. Tara had called him and asked him to wait for Buffy when she came back.

“Hey Buff,” Xander greeted her as she stepped out of the cab.

“Xander, I’m really not feeling up to having company right now. Could you just go back home to Anya?”

"Buffy" He stopped her. “I’m worried about you.”

“You shouldn’t be. I’ll be fine." She walked past him and unlocked the front door. He followed, shaking his head in frustration.

“What about…William?” Xander ventured, knowing it was a sour subject for her right now. “When are you going to give him a break? He’s paying for the Harmony shit in spades. How long are gonna keep making him do it?"

"How is that any of your concern?" she snapped.

"He misses you," Xander replied deliberately. "He's a wreck. Don't you care?"

“Yeah, well, he should have thought about that before,” she muttered, pushing open the door. She turned to Xander. He could tell she was pissed, but he also saw that she was about to cry. Unable to handle tears, he backed off, angry with himself for upsetting her.

“Xander…just…go home to Anya…I’ll be fine!” Buffy slammed the door in his face.

He stood there for a few moments, hoping she’d change her mind. But when he heard the door being locked from the inside, he turned on his heel, went back to the car, and drove home.

Buffy leaned against the door, dropping her purse. She begin sobbing uncontrollably, and then ran up to her room. As she opened the door to the guest room, she stopped abruptly and was flooded with a memory of her and William making love after Harmony broke into the house.

It had been a perfect moment in her life, but it was shattered with a memory of Harmony ruining it all. Buffy suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She ran to the bathroom, and vomited up the small amount of food she'd managed to get down that day. After flushing the toilet, she rinsed her mouth out with water and reached for a towel.


Then, sliding down the wall to the floor, she began to cry hysterically.

******************************************************************

When Willow and Tara returned home a little while later, they noticed Buffy’s purse at the floor. The women looked at each other, fearing the worst, and climbed the stairs to the second floor.

Standing in front of Buffy's open bedroom door, Willow looked at Tara with a worried expression when she saw no sign of her friend. "Tara...where is she?"

“I don’t…wait,” Tara stopped, looking around. “Listen!” Tara heard something. It was soft crying coming from the bathroom. “She’s in the bathroom.”

Willow and Tara opened the bathroom door and saw Buffy sitting on the floor.

“Oh Buffy,” Willow went to her side.

Buffy turned to Willow with tear stained cheeks.

“Are you ok?” Willow asked, worriedly.

Before Buffy could answer, Tara spoke. “I was wondering when you’d let it out.” Tara smiled kindly as she knelt in front of Buffy.

Buffy wasn’t sure if she should continue to cry or laugh, so she did a little of both. A few minutes later she smiled at Tara. “Thank you, I really needed that. I was taking things way to seriously.”

Tara grabbed a tissue and handed it to Buffy so she could mop up her wet face.

“Don’t you think it’s about time to talk to Will?” Tara asked Buffy.

Willow didn’t think it was a good idea to press Buffy like that, but she knew that Tara had a point.

Buffy looked to Willow and then back at Tara. “You think I should?”

“I really do,” Tara replied with a smile. “I think it's time for you to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life. He has a right to know, Buffy."

Buffy took a deep breath. "I know. but...I don't think I can."


“Why not?” Willow asked, breaking her own silence.

Buffy rose to her feet and went into the guest room. Willow and Tara followed.

“You want to know why I can’t?” Buffy asked, sitting down on the bed.

"I’m scared. I’m scared that I've waited too long. That when I decide to take him back, he won’t want me. That he won’t love me. I’m scared that Harmony might come back and destroy everything again. I'm scared that we’ll never be able to go back to our old lives. I'm scared that I won’t be able to trust him again.”

“Never doubt William’s love, Buffy,” Willow said, sitting next to her. “He wants to be with you. He’d move heaven and earth for you."

“And Harmony can’t hurt you now. If the day ever comes, which, I don’t believe it will, William will know how to handle the situation. He won’t ever let that psycho hurt you again,” Tara added, as she sat on the other side of Buffy, and squeezed her hand in reassurance. Tara picked up the phone and handed it to Buffy. “Now call him! You don’t have to get back together today or tomorrow, or even next week. Just talk, work through your problems, and never look back. Look forward to the future. Make new memories.”

“You’re right,” Buffy said, taking the phone. Tara and Willow took that as a sign to give Buffy some space.

“We’ll be down the hall if you need us,” Willow said, shutting the door. “Do you think she’ll be ok?” she asked Tara.

“Yes, I think so. She just needed a little push,” Tara replied, as the couple walked hand in hand to their room.

*****************************************************************

Buffy began to dial William’s cell, but she hung up just as he answered. She took a few deep breaths and dialed once again.

“Get it together Summers,” Buffy whispered to herself. “Or you're gonna lose him. William is the best thing that's ever happened to you…don’t let him go. You can work on your problems, but not if you won't even talk to him."

The number rang three times before it was picked up. "Hello?"

"Hi. It's me."

“Buffy?” William whispered.

"Yes."

They sat in silence for a long time before William spoke again. "How are you?"

“I’m…I’m ok, ” she lied. She didn’t want him to know how she was feeling just yet. “How are you?”

"I’m fine. I miss you.”

"I miss you, too."

“Look, can we meet somewhere?”

“I don’t know…maybe.”

“I’m dying here Buffy. I know I made a mistake... but please... I need to know what you want.”

Buffy was silent for a few moments. “All right. Come by Willow and Tara’s about seven thirty and we can talk...JUST TALK.” She hung up before he could say anything more. Speaking to him had been harder than she'd imagined it would be, but she felt better for it.

"Now, if I can just keep it up when he gets here."

*******************************************************************

William flipped the phone shut and leaned against the counter just as his dad walked into the kitchen.

“Hello, William.”

“Dad.” William’s voice was solemn, and there was sadness etched on his face.

Giles walked around the island to his son, and placed one hand on his shoulder. “What's happened?"

“Buffy…she wants to see me.”

Giles smiled. “Why look so gloomy? This is what you've been waiting for, isn't it?"

“I know I should be happy. At least, we'll be talking. She made that perfectly clear.”

“Just be thankful she’s at least willing to see you.”



*******************************************************************

William pulled up in front of Willow and Tara’s house at seven fifteen. He turned off the engine and just waited, trying to force down a feeling that something terrible was about ti happen.

Ten minutes had passed when he finally worked up the nerve to knock on the front door.

“William, it’s so good to see you,” Willow smiled as the front door swung open. “Come in," she added, stepping aside to let him enter.

“Hey Red, how've you been?” he asked, hugging her.

“I’m fine.” She reciprocated the hug. “It really is good to see you.” She pulled back and smiled again. “Tara!" she called. "Will’s here.”

Tara came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel.

“Hello.” She smiled and hugged him.

“Tara,” William nodded his head. “I’m a...a little early,” William stammered.

“Buffy’s upstairs. I’ll go get her,” Willow offered, and then turned to climb the stairs.



“Come into the kitchen, William, I’m fixing dinner…wanna help?” She interlaced her arm with his, and dragged him back to the kitchen; he followed....reluctantly.



******************************************************************

Willow knocked on the door of Buffy’s room. “Buffy! He’s here.”

Buffy sat up straight. She had fallen asleep waiting for him. She smoothed her hair and dress out. After talking to William, she'd changed her outfit three times, finally deciding on a simple floral print dress.

“Buffy?” Willow called again. “Is there something wrong?”



“No, no Willow, I’m fine.” She opened the door, a faint smile on her face.

“Are you sure?” Willow asked, looking worried. “I could tell him to come back tomorrow.”

“No." Buffy shook her head. "I need to do this. I’ve put it off for far too long.”


******************************************************************

As Willow and Buffy entered the kitchen, William was chopping vegetables as Tara was cutting up steak for a stew. William looked up and smiled nervously at Buffy.

"I'll take over here" Willow said, taking the knife from his hand. "You and Buffy go talk."

Buffy walked over to William, grabbed his hand, and pulled him out the front door.

“Where are we going?” William asked. Buffy let go of his hand, hugging herself in the cool night air.

“Just for a walk,” she replied.

William followed her to a nearby park, and they both sat down on a black, wrought iron bench.

“William,” Buffy began.

“Look, you don’t have to say anything,” William interrupted, pain evident in his voice. “I am so sorry. I screwed up. If I’d just fired her, we wouldn’t be in this mess."

“William,” she said, frustrated. “Please, let me continue.”

He stayed silent, gesturing for her to go on.

“Yes, you are right. You should have dealt with it earlier....but it really doesn't matter anymore," she said.

"Wh-what do you mean? Are you forgiving me...or not?"

“I’m not saying that. I’m still very upset...but I love you, and I want to work this out. We NEED to work this out. Not for you or for me, but for…” Buffy's voice trailed off as she stared into space for a moment.

"But for...who?" He cupped her chin and turned her to face him. "What are you saying, Buffy?"

When she looked into his eyes, he was mesmerized. There was something different about her. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but she looked peaceful now...radiant. "Buffy....tell me."



TBC.....

Chapter 9

Buffy looked into his blue eyes. The expression in them suddenly changed, making them even more beautiful than she had ever seen them before. She could see the love in his eyes, and she knew then that it was time to tell him

the secret that wanted to explode right out of her.



He has a right to know after all.



“You know you can tell me anything, Buffy. I love you, and all I want is for us to have another chance.”



“I want that too, but I need to be honest for us to get to that place.” She spoke directly from her heart. “I have been keeping something from you, for so long and...it's killing me not to tell you.” Tears trickled down her face, and he wiped them away.



William then took her hand in his, gently letting her know she could continue.



“I was hurt and upset that you let that mess with Harmony get as far as it did, but it wasn't just for myself. I know now that you did what you thought was best, but before...I guess I didn’t even WANT to know how you felt. I was so wrapped up in what was going on with me that I didn’t see straight…I needed the time to reflect on everything.”



“And?” William gently prompted.



“And the first week was pure hell. I missed you so much, but my pride wouldn’t allow me to come back to you...I guess I’m just…stubborn.” She laughed nervously.



William smiled at her. That you are, my love.



"Anyway,” she began nervously, “a week or so after everything happened, I started feeling tired and nauseated. I thought it was after effects of the sedative Harmony used. I was sure she'd used too much and thought something was seriously wrong so...I made an appointment with the doctor, and they assured me that Harmony had actually used the right amounts. That was surprising, considering…” Buffy didn’t finish that sentence. “The doctors ran some blood work and everything came back normal...except for one thing.”



“Maybe its just stress,” William interrupted.



“No, it’s definitely not stress,” Buffy smiled brightly.



“Then what is it?” William asked, concerned, fearing the worst.



“William, I’m pregnant,” she blurted out excitedly. It felt so good to be able to finally to tell him the truth after so long.



This really got William’s attention. He stood straight up, pulling her along with him. “You’re…you’re…pregnant?” he asked, his voice high pitched and excited.



“Yes.”



“How far along?"



“Six weeks.”



William counted back in his mind, trying to determine when exactly the conception had taken place. He smiled as he looked back down at her in realization. It was a smile that always melted her heart. “It was that morning?” he asked, not so much a question as a confirmation.



“Yes,” she said definitively, knowing exactly what he was referring to.



He picked her up and twirled her around and then quickly sat her down. “I-I didn’t…didn’t hurt you or the bit, did I?” He placed his hand on her stomach, rubbing gently.



“No, of course not," she giggled.



He held her tightly. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear.



“I love you, too!”



William released her from their embrace, pulled a little black box out before kneeling to the ground. He'd bought the ring during their separation, in hopes they would eventually work out their difficulties and be married as they'd planned, and now...well it certainly seemed to be the perfect time to propose.



Buffy was so excited she felt tears come to her eyes, but she couldn’t help but giggle, happily of course.



“Elizabeth, I hope this isn't too soon, but I want to do this properly and I believe that this is the time.” William took a deep breath for courage.



“I don’t know how I made it this long without you,” A tear rolled down his cheek. William had never been this honest with another sole. Not even Drusilla. He definitely knew this was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.



“I never lived before your love. I never needed anyone to make me feel alive, but now...if I were to ever lose it...I would die. I promise I'll love you, and take care of you, and protect you for the rest of your life. I can't live another day without you. Will you marry me?"





Buffy didn’t have to think twice. For the first time in quite a while, she knew what she wanted, and that was to be with him, always. “Yes. Yes, I will!” she whispered, tears falling freely.



William jumped up, wrapped his arms around her waist, and picked her up, twirling her around.



I’m the happiest bloke ever! Thank you! Thank you!! Taking her hand, he slipped the ring onto the proper finger.



He picked her up again, spinning her slowly around. She looked down at her ring. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she'd ever seen, a simple gold band with a solitaire diamond.



Not nearly as beautiful as you, William. You make me so happy. I am sorry that I kept us distant for so long. I hope you forgiven me for that. I almost kept you from knowing we've conceived a child. And I do love you, William. More than words could ever say.



She kissed him soundly on the lips and then said, “I love you, William.”



“I love you, too, pet,” He kissed her again, soundly. “Always!”



Lacing their fingers together, they turned and walked back to the house...and into
their future.


TBC.....

Chapter 10- Count down to The Wedding



Three months later...



Buffy and William moved into Giles’ guest house at his insistence. William told his father that they’d only stay there until they found a place of their own. Giles understood, although he dearly wished they would stay and make a home with him, especially after coming so close to losing them as he had lost William's mother. Jenny had died in childbirth, and Giles had never remarried. He’d had relationships, but his heart still belonged to her.



Giles was certain that the baby was going to be a boy. He doted on Buffy at every moment, spoiling the baby even before it was born. William and Buffy didn’t mind. They were just happy to see Giles so cheerful and outgoing, a huge difference from his normally quiet and reserved manner..



Giles even had names picked out for the baby, but Buffy and William assured him that although THEY would be the ones to name their child, they’d choose a name that Giles would approve of.




**********

Willow, Tara and Anya whisked Buffy away for a bachelorette party, to a spa resort an hour away from Sunnydale. The girls didn’t even tell Buffy where they were going.



Buffy was excited and nervous, but she missed William. She knew that on Monday, they’d be married, but being apart from him right now was harder than it had ever been. However, she promised herself she wasn’t going to get weepy eyed, and that she was going to have fun with her friends and enjoy their wonderful gift.



As the girls were getting pedicures and manicures and laughing, they were talking about upcoming weddings of William and Buffy and Xander and Anya.



“Xander and I can't even decide on a date, even though the baby’ll be here anytime,” Anya said, picking out a pink nail color. “I’d like a fall wedding, but Xander and I will probably never marry.” she added, sighing deeply.



“Oh sure you will,” Willow reassured her friend. “Xander’s just a little slow on the uptake. You know...he's kind of stupid that way."



“Willow,” Tara chastised, playfully. “That’s our friend.”



“Well,” Buffy chimed in. “She has a point.”



Before anything more could be said, Tara changed the subject. “Do you know where you’re going on your honeymoon,” she asked Buffy.



“No, I have no idea. He wouldn’t tell me,” Buffy replied. “I think he’s got a big surprise for me though.”



“Oh?” Willow pressed. “What do you think it is?”



“I don’t know. I’ve tried to get him to tell me, but he’s not budging.”



“You think Xander knows?” Anya wondered.



“If William told Xander, do you really think Xander would have told you?” Buffy teased.



“Hey!” Anya protested. “I don’t have a big mouth.”



The girls giggled and waited till their nails were dry before going for their messages.



**********



Xander, Giles and William all spent the weekend at Giles’ country house. Xander hired a stripper named Candy, and she smelled like peppermint. About the only one that enjoyed her company was Xander. While Giles did have fun, he just wasn’t the type to watch strange girls take off their clothing to a bad musical accompaniment, and William was more interested in what Buffy was doing.



“Will,” Xander said as the stripper shook her tassels in his face. “You’re missing all the fun.” He stared up at the red haired beauty, grinning from ear to ear.



“Nah, I’m having fun, Xan,” William responded and took a sip of his scotch. The stripper moved seductively towards William. Taking off her silk scarf, she wrapped it around him and pulled him to his feet.



“Come on Will. Don't hurt her feelings...dance with the pretty lady,” Xander encouraged.



Giles rolled his eyes and tipped back a glass of scotch. He went over to the bar to pour himself another shot, when the stripper spotted him and danced her way over towards him.



“You’re not gonna get away that easily, Mr. Giles,” she purred seductively.



“Er...um...I...oh, bloody hell,” Giles said, blushing. She took the glass from him and set it down on a table. Pulling him into the center of the room, she tried to make him dance. Giles was so paralyzed with embarrassment that he couldn't move, causing Xander and William to nearly fall on the floor in hysterics.



**********



After the pedicure and the manicure, Buffy snuck off from her friends and went to her room to call William.



The number rang seven times before someone picked up. She could hear loud music in the background, and for a minute she thought she had dialed the wrong number. Until…



“HELLO?” William yelled over the loud music.



“William?” Buffy asked.



“IS THAT YOU BUFFY?”



“YES!”



“WAIT A MINUTE.” He went up to his old room, glad to get away from Xander for a while. “That’s better. Sorry about all the yellin’ love. How are things going?"



“Better, now that I get to talk to you,” she said flirtatiously. "I miss you soooo much. I hate the thought of not sleeping with you tonight."



“Yeah? Well...what are you wearing, pet?” he asked as he unbuttoned his fly.



“A robe and…nuttin honey,” she smiled, pulling the ties to her robe. “I love you.”



“I love you too, sweetheart.” William slid his hand into his pants and began stroking his erection, picturing Buffy lying naked on their bed. "I wish I could be with you right now, but since I can't...why don't you touch yourself and pretend that I'm there."



She did as he asked, caressing her breast at his urging, imaging William's talented hands were doing it instead.



“William," she gasped, tugging gently on one rose colored nipple. "Say something else."



“Go lower,” he purred. Just thinking about what she was doing was driving him wild as he stroked his hard shaft in a slow, up and down rhythm. "Down over your tummy...watch out for baby...now, down between your thighs. The place where you're all wet and juicy. Feel how hot you are? Now...slide one finger inside."



Buffy could hear William's breath hitching, and she knew exactly what he was doing. Dipping her finger into her wet heat, she began playing with her clit. Slow at first, and then fast, feeling herself coming closer to the end. "William," she moaned softly.



William was coming closer to his own release, but he wanted to time it just right with Buffy’s. He could hear that she was close, but he didn’t think he'd be able to wait much longer.



Buffy added another finger, working herself to a frenzy. Faster and faster, she moved, the imagine of William lying on top of her and pounding her into the bed making her even wetter.



“William," she groaned in a throaty voice. "I’m…I’m gonna…gonna…cum. I'm so...I...oh!...yes...AHHHH!"



“....Buffy...oh, god...baby...yes..cum with me...."



His hand moved faster and release washed over them both at the same time.



Buffy was the first to speak. “That was great, but I’d rather have you here," she said when her breathing returned to normal.



“I know, love. I feel the same way, but soon we'll be busting bed springs on our wedding night."



Buffy heard the key in the door, and her head swung towards in and she gasped in horror.



“Will, gotta go. Willow is coming and she'll see me naked."




“Lucky Willow," he said, with a pout she could almost hear.




“Ha ha. Love you, bye!” She flipped her cell phone shut, dropping it into the drawer of the nightstand beside the bed, then hopped off the bed and ran for the bathroom. She closed the door and turned on the shower just as Willow, Tara, and Anya walked into the room.



**********



William hung up the phone shut and re-buttoned his fly. The phone sex had been good, but it hardly compared to the real thing, and made him miss her more than ever.



With a plaintive sigh, he went back downstairs to rescue his bashful father.



**********




The three girls sat on the bed and waited for Buffy to come out of the bathroom.



When Willow called out, Buffy twisted the knobs and stepped into the shower.

Closing the curtain, she leaned against the wall and tried to compose herself. Aching for more, she resisted the temptation to continue her self gratification, determined that the next orgasm she would have would be with her brand new husband. She quickly brushed the thought out of her mind and finished up her shower.



Ten minutes went by before she stepped out of the bathroom in her robe, and with a towel around her head.



“Why'd you leave," Willow asked, turning off the TV. “I thought we had appointments for a massage."



“You three did," Buffy said. "I changed mine for tomorrow and had a mud wrap instead."





“So, what are we going to do tonight?” Anya asked.



Tara looked over at the clock and saw it was 8:30 “I think Willow and I are going to dinner, and then come back and go to bed. We’ll have our mud wraps tomorrow morning.”



Anya sighed. "Guess I'll call Xander, and see what he's doing," she said, picking up the phone and dialing Giles’ number.



“Personally, I’m going to order something yummy from room service, read a book, and then turn in early,” Buffy said. grabbing her book and stretching out

on the bed. Thinking about what she and William had just done, her cheeks turned a little pink.



After Tara and Willow left for dinner, Anya hung up the phone and looked at Buffy. “I think I’ll stay too. I’m tired. This baby needs to come out, and I mean NOW! I've had to pee a hundred times today. You just can't imagine," she said, then remembered that Buffy was pregnant too. "Oh...I guess maybe you can."



“It hasn’t been that bad so far,” Buffy informed her. “I do get strange cravings now and them.”



“Just wait. They’ll get even stranger and the peeing never stops." She made a face and jumped back to her feet, heading for the bathroom. "See what I mean?"



**********

They missed each other more than anything, but comforted themselves with the knowledge that they would soon be Mr. And Mrs. William Giles. Buffy hadn’t decided whether to hyphenate her new last name or just simply go by Buffy Giles. It didn’t matter to William, he just wanted to make their union legal, especially with the baby coming.



The first few days after he found out, he went on a shopping spree, buying a large supply of baby paraphernalia and gear for a little boy. Bats, gloves, balls; all things that an infant would have no use for. It didn’t matter, William wanted his son to have everything. It didn’t occur to him for a moment that the baby might very well be a little girl, as Buffy believed.



She did her fair share of spoiling the unborn baby, buying expensive girls clothing from specialty stores such as Gymboree and Little Miss Muffet.



Grandpa Giles had helped William acquire a big surprise for Buffy, but she wasn’t going to get it until after they were married. It took a long time to find the right present, but they managed it in time for the wedding.



It was hard for William to keep this privy to himself, in spite of the fact that their friends conspired to keep them apart until the wedding. William wanted badly to give her the surprise immediately, but was forced to wait.



**********

The wedding was small, just close friends and family. They had chosen to have the ceremony in the garden of Giles’ home, near where he and Jenny had been married nearly thirty years ago. William wanted to be close to his mother on this day. And it did feel as though she was there, close by and smiling on them.


Buffy was nervous. She waited in the house with Willow and Tara, pacing the floors.



Willow was Buffy’s maid of honor. She wore a wine colored dress, sleeveless, with a sweetheart neckline. "Buffy...relax," she instructed the bride. "Try and sit down and stay calm.



“I'm calm," Buffy insisted, sounding anything but as she sat down on the sofa.



“Here,” Willow said, handing Buffy a blue silk and lace handkerchief. "From me to you."



“Oh, my something blue.” Buffy smiled. “I love it. Thank you.” She tucked it inside her sleeve.




Tara sat down next to Willow and produced a small box. “Here’s both your something borrowed AND something old."



Buffy opened the box, gasping when she saw the diamond stud earrings inside, nestled on a bed of black velvet.

“Tara...they're beautiful.” Buffy said, feeling a little teary eyed. "I promise to be very careful with them." She clipped them on, and the stones caught the sunlight coming in the window, making them sparkle.



“Now, on to something new,” Anya said, entering the room. "Not exactly for you, but I think you'll like it." Anya wore a gray plain suit, designed to accommodate her swollen belly, which everyone seemed to want to touch these days.



Buffy unwrapped the package and pulled out a silver rattle for the baby.



“Thank you, Anya,” Buffy said, hugging her friend. "It's a perfect idea. Kind of makes me feel like the baby is part of the wedding."



“You're welcome. Now here's something for you AND William," Anya said, handing Buffy another box.



Buffy ripped the paper off, and opened the gift. "Wow!" she said, showing the others the filmy black negligee that the box contained.



The girls admired the garment, making a few mildly lewd comments over it's intended use.





"I love it, thank you," Buffy said, hugging Anya again. "And I can promise that William will love it, too."



**********



William waited...dressed in a black suit, white shirt, and navy blue silk tie...near the oak tree in the garden, anxiously anticipating the arrival of his bride. The chairs had been arranged so that there was a central aisle for her to walk down to where a white lattice arch had been placed.



He was actually becoming a little nervous. It was almost time, and he was longing to see Buffy. Xander, standing next to him, saw that his friend looked a little paler than normal.



“You okay ?” Xander asked, smiling.



William didn't seem to be paying attention. “Hmm? What?”



“Relax, Will. She’ll be here in few minutes and it’ll all be over before you know it.”



The words were small consolation for a nervous bridegroom. William's palms were sweaty and he wiped them on his pants just as the Wedding March began. He looked up, relieved that the wait was over.




**********



Buffy's dress was a simple cream colored satin gown. The princess gown was enhanced with heavy crystal beading throughout the top of the bodice and along the straps, and had an asymmetrical gathered wrap at the back.



Her hair was swept up into a loose 'Gibson Girl' style that let soft tendrils curl around her face. She wore no veil, only a circlet of white rosebuds complimented her honey brown tresses.



“Are you ready, my dear?” Giles asked, offering his arm to his soon to be daughter-in-law.



Buffy took a deep breath, smiled up at him. “Yes, but I’m nervous.”



“Ah, but that’s to be expected. This is one of the biggest things you’ll ever do in your life. You and William deserve to be together and I have faith you will stay together.” Giles leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.



“Okay, then...let's go." Buffy said, waiting for Willow to begin her walk.



When Willow was up there waiting, Buffy and Giles made their way down the aisle. Flashes were going off nonstop, but she kept her eyes on William.



When she joined him beneath the arch, he mouthed "I love you" to her, and she did the same.



“Who gives this woman to be married?” the minister asked.



“I do,” Giles said happily, then stepped back to take his seat.



William and Buffy interlaced hands



“William and Elizabeth have decided to say their own vows. William, would you please begin?"



“Buffy...through all the tears and struggles, I always knew in my heart that we would make it here. I promise to love and respect you forever as my wife, my lover, my friend, and my soul mate. All I am is yours.” William began to tear up. Buffy wiped them away with her thumb.

”William...you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I was afraid that you were too good to be true...that maybe I didn't deserve someone so pure, and beautiful and loving as you are. But here we are, surrounded by the people I love the most, and I am so proud to be your wife. William, I was born to love you, and I always will.”



“If any one sees a reason these two should not be together, speak now or forever hold your peace," the minister intoned.



Buffy gasped. “Oh my god!”



“What?" William asked, concerned. "What is it?”



“The baby.”



“What’s the matter with the baby?”



“Nothing. It just kicked me."



“It did? Where?” She guided his hand to her lower abdomen, and the baby kicked again for it's father. William laughed, suprised and excited. "I think he approves."



The minister smiled. “Then I pronounce you Mr. And Mrs. William Giles. You may now kiss the bri…” The priest was cut off when William tipped Buffy backwards over his arm, kissing her passionately on the lips.



Everyone oooh’d and ahhh’d, then laughed and began to applaud.



William stood Buffy upright again. Her knees were a little wobbly, as William whispered into her ear, “You okay, pet?"



“I’m more than okay," she assured him, kissing him again. "I'm married!"



**********

“Where are we going?” Buffy asked coyly, smoothing the skirt of the pink suit she'd donned after the reception..



“Not far, love." He smiled mysteriously as he handed his bride into their car.



***********

As Buffy and William were driving away, Anya’s water suddenly broke.



She gasped out loud, and Xander grabbed her arm, steadying her.



“Anya? Honey, are you okay?"



“NO! I’M HAVING A BABY YOU IDIOT!”



"What?! You mean, now? You mean, here?" Xander babbled.



"Yes, I mean now! And, no...I am NOT having this baby until I'm in a nice, clean hospital. Now....go...get...the...CAR!!!"







***********



William pulled up to a house on Revello Drive, only a block away from their old place.



“What are we doing here?”



“You’ll see.” He got out of the car and opened the passenger side door. Buffy took the hand he extended, and he tugged her to her feet.



“Honey, what are we doing here?” she asked again as they walked up the front path. William said nothing until they were standing in front of the door, then pulled a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked it.



“This is our new home, my love,” he said, picking her up and carrying her inside. He walked over the threshold and kicked the door closed. "If you approve, that is."



“Ours? Seriously?”



“Yep.” A grin formed on his face. “I looked at all kinds of houses and none spoke to me. But this one said…home.” He kissed her. “A friend of mine from the station volunteered to help you out with the decoration and furnishings.”



“Well, we’ll just have to have him over for dinner.”



“Lorne would appreciate that. However....enough about furnishings and decorations. Now, it's time for me to just ravish you,” he said saucily, taking her up stairs.



“Oooh, I’d like that.” Buffy kissed William.



**********



Five months later, Buffy gave birth to twin boys named William Rupert and Kaden Jacob. It had been a tough delivery, but she made it through and William was ecstatic. He was a devoted father, and spoiled his boys and their mother every chance he got, even after returning to his job..



Giles spent a lot more time with his family and a lot less traveling.





Xander and Anya finally made it to the altar after their daughter, Kassidy Marie, was born. They bought a house close to William and Buffy’s place, so the children would be raised in the extended family unit they had all created.



Willow and Tara stood as Godmothers to all three babies, a responsibility they took very seriously.



Finally, everything was as it was meant to be.

The End