Buffy Summers smiled sheepishly at the police officer. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t really know how fast I was going.” She gave a small, self-effacing laugh. “That’s bad, huh? I know. I’m a complete mess today. Work ran late and then my mom called wanting advice on what to wear on her first date since she and Dad split and then Dad called wanting to know if I’d heard that Mom had a date.” She rolled her eyes. “And so now I’m running really late and…none of this excuses the speeding. I totally know better.”

The cop grinned indulgently. “So it won’t happen again?”

“No, sir.” She shook her head dutifully.

He nodded. “I’m going to let you off with a warning this time. Drive safely and have a good night.” He patted the top of her car before walking away. He watched her drive away with a smile, thinking that it was rare to meet such a nice young lady these days.



An hour later she had finally joined her friends, Cordelia, Xander and Faith, at their favorite club and had just finished retelling the tale.

Xander shook his head in disbelief. “You got off again.”

“That’s it. I’m making the appointment tomorrow. I’m going blonde.” Cordelia bitched amicably.

Faith looked skeptical. “Are you sure it wasn’t a little more like: Oh no, officer! Was I a naughty girl?” She bit her lip and undid an imaginary button on her top.

Buffy laughed. “No!” She shook her head. “I told you I just apologized and presto-no ticket. Besides,” she looked at her own shirt and sighed, “What would I flash?”

“Umm…good point.” Xander nodded. “Maybe you should flash us. You know, so we can make an informed decision.”

Buffy glared and waited for Faith to kick him under the table. “I’m telling you guys, it’s no big deal. I don’t understand why people don’t just try telling the truth and apologizing more often. It works for me all the time.”

Faith laughed. “And the charmed one strikes again.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “I’m not charmed.”

“Oh no?” Cordelia’s eyebrows shot up. “Shall we go over the list?”

Buffy tried saying no, but once her friends got started there was no stopping them.

Xander started. “So that’s at least five speeding tickets turned into warnings…this year.”

“And we can’t forget that radio contest.” Faith added before taking a sip of her drink.

“Lots of people win radio contests,” Buffy argued.

“Accidently?” Xander shook his head. “Who misdials while ordering pizza and ends up with free front row tickets to The Killers?”

“Ooh,” Cordelia leaned closer to the table. “Did I tell you guys about how Buff got her new Pradas for 10% of the regular price because someone put the decimal in the wrong place on the price tag? That’s 90% off. They might as well have been free. And it was only the pair in her size.”

Buffy blushed. She never knew what to say. “Okay, so maybe I’m a little bit lucky.”

Cordelia laughed, “A little bit? Ya think?”

“Oh it’s all right, B.” Faith reached over and gave Buffy a quick hug. “We’re just hoping it’ll rub off on the rest of us a bit.”

Buffy quickly latched on to the possible ending of the conversation. “Who’s up for some dancing? I love this song.” She clutched Faith’s hand and pulled her to the dance floor. The two danced together often and fell easily into a familiar and playful routine. Neither girl was surprised by the group of male admirers that soon surrounded them, but they’d have enjoyed the dancing almost as much without the company.



An attractive man with graying hair watched her from across the room. He turned to his dark haired , angel-faced companion. “You’re certain she’s the one? The small blonde.”

The other man nodded. “I’ve been watching her for a couple weeks. That’s our girl…or his girl I guess.”

“She’s not what I expected.” He removed an unnecessary pair of glasses and wiped them with a linen handkerchief. “She seems so…”

“Fun?” The younger man chuckled. “I know. Who would have predicted it?” He paled. “Well, I mean, except for Her. She obviously knows what she is…”

“Obviously. We cannot afford a mistake here, Angelus. If this isn’t the girl…”

“I know. That’s why I came up with one last test.” He grinned widely before snapping his fingers. Instantly, his appearance altered. His normally dark eyes took on a deep blue shade, his build thinned and his hair lightened to nearly white. Gone too was his dark navy suit and in its place a pair a black leather pants and a black tee-shirt clung tightly to his still muscular physique. Eyeliner and a spattering of silver jewelry completed the transformation.

Ripper frowned. “Yes, you look quite a bit like your cousin now. The point of this?”

“Well, we’ve got to make sure she goes for the look, right?”

“And the clothes? Those are certainly not his.”

Unusually pouty lips smirked. “Just a bit of icing.” Angelus headed to the dance floor. Sure he was there to fulfill his duty, but he could have a little fun while he was at it.

Buffy raised her eyebrows at the boldness of the man currently working his way in between herself and Faith. The other girl winked back at her and Buffy giggled. She couldn’t deny that the guy had a certain appeal. He was a bit more punk than her taste ran, but the look was striking. She shrugged and let him tug her a little closer, figuring that as long as he kept his hands at her waist she’d play.

When the song ended, he leaned in asked if he could get her a drink. She might have said no if he hadn’t had the sexiest accent she’d ever heard. She let him lead her to the bar, knowing the whole time that it was ridiculous to like a guy simply because he’d called you love.

It was the last thing she remembered when she woke up.

Buffy frowned as she studied the strange room. Surely, it was a dream. She wasn’t the kind of girl that went home with a guy she’d just met, no, not even hot ones with nice voices. And she didn’t remember going home with him.

There had to be an explanation. She tried to calm her quickening heartbeat. Think, Buffy, what do you remember? She struggled. There were bits, here and there. She remembered talking with the guy at the bar and maybe another man too. Yes, she nodded; there was an older guy there. She remembered thinking that he had kind eyes. But that was it. She had no idea how she had gotten to wherever she was.

She stumbled off the bed in a near panic. She was still dressed. She was still completely dressed and nothing hurt. Those were good signs, she assured herself; that meant that however she had gotten here, it couldn’t be too bad. Maybe she had fallen and banged her head. Yeah, she quickly adopted the theory, maybe she had forgotten her name and everything else and the guy she was talking to took her to his place hoping that she would remember in the morning.

Even as she thought it, Buffy knew that it was ridiculous. If it were the plot to a movie, she wouldn’t have bothered renting it. Even a girl who lived a charmed life knew better than to assume that she had woken up in a stranger’s house for her own good.

Swallowing the bile rising in her throat, she rushed across the room and tried to open the door. It was locked. Oh shit! Buffy ran out of good explanations. Trying to keep her panic at bay, she searched for her purse or a phone. She’d run back over to the bed and was pulling off the blankets hoping her stuff might still be tangled up in them, when the door opened.

A thin man with blue eyes and white hair entered the room.

Buffy didn’t waste a moment. She rushed towards him with her fists up. “You!” She flailed fairly ineffectively at his chest for a moment before he captured her wrists with his hands.

“I’m sorry you were frightened.”

“Frightened! I’m pissed you asshole. What did you do? Drug me? Why don’t I remember how I got here?” She tried to pull away, but his hold was firm. He was stronger than he looked.

He spoke in a quiet voice. “I haven’t done you any harm and I don’t intend to. We’ve never met.”

“Oh please! I remember that much. You were there. We…we danced and then…you did something to me.”

He pushed her hands down slowly. “It wasn’t me, pet.” William knew about his cousin’s glamour. He’d seen it several times. Angelus could do a close approximation of his appearance, but it wouldn’t hold under any real scrutiny. William suspected that his cousin could do better if he worked at it, but his cousin wasn’t one to work. “Take a closer look.” He leaned towards her slightly.

“But your voice…” Buffy frowned. It wasn’t the same man. His hair and build were similar and he had the same accent, but he was different. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It was like the man from last night had been masquerading as this man. The one in front of her just seemed more real and also more appealing. She felt herself drawn to meet his eyes. They were gorgeous. She shook her head. It didn’t matter. The whole situation was out of control. “Are you going to let me go?”

He sighed and dropped her hands. “I can’t.”

Aphrodite was never wrong. William couldn’t deny the instant pull he’d felt towards the frightened woman in front of him. She was meant to be his. He watched with an aching heart as Buffy backed away from him with terror-filled eyes.

“I will get out, you know. And when the cops find out what you all are up to…”

“The situation is more complicated than…”

“You’re a pervert, right? Some kind of sicko who gets off on trapping woman and…and…” she broke off on a sob.

He took a step towards her, his arms aching to comfort her, but she only moved further away. It hadn’t been his plan to hurt her, it hadn’t even been his plan to bring her there, but William knew that it was his fault. She wouldn’t have been suffering if it wasn’t for him. He shook his head again. “I am sorry.”

Buffy didn’t realize he was leaving until he was at the door. She ran over but he’d already locked her in. She dropped to the floor and cried.

Exhausted, Buffy fell asleep leaning against the door. Once again, though, she awoke on the strange bed. Remembering this time, where she was, she glanced quickly around the room to see if she was alone and noted the changes.

There was a table with food set up by the bed. Yeah, she thought shaking her head, like I’m going to eat something you freaks give me.

There was also a new chest. She walked over to it cautiously. It had been left open and appeared to be full of clothes. She was only moderately relieved that her captors seemed to intend for her to be dressed.

She noted also, the thick blankets added to the foot of her bed and a stack of books.

Buffy frowned. Why would they be taking care of her? Had they confused her with someone else? Her parents did well enough, but they certainly didn’t have the kind of money to warrant kidnapping her for ransom.

Knowing already that it would be locked, she tried the door. She kicked it and groaned loudly when it didn’t open.

She dropped on the bed a moment later. Now what? I can’t just sit here and wait for those freaks. There has to be something that I can do.

She didn’t have to wait long. The door opened a moment later and a petite red-haired girl walked in. She gave Buffy a friendly smile. “You’re up. I was getting worried.”

“Right.” Buffy frowned. What kind of kidnappers were they? She was pretty sure she could take out the girl they’d just sent in. “Who are you?”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I forgot that you don’t really know me. I mean cause I feel like I know so much about you. I’m Willow.” She gave her another big smile. “We’re all really excited that you’re here.”

Buffy nodded like she might for a small and clearly mentally challenged child. “Right. If you all think that I’ve got money…”

The girl frowned. “Why would you need money?”

“For the ransom. That’s what this is, right? I mean otherwise…”

Willow nodded. She was here to explain, she just hadn’t realized how much explaining she would have to do. “Buffy, you haven’t been taken for ransom. No one here means you any harm.” She gave her another brilliant smile. “You’re here to be with your soul mate.”

Buffy actually laughed. “You’re insane.” When the other girl only frowned she continued. “You actually believe that. Did they take you too?”

Willow sighed. “Let’s start at the beginning, yeah? First, let’s take a look at where here is.” She waved her hand and a window appeared on the wall near the bed.

Gasping, Buffy jumped. She turned, wide eyed, from the window to Willow and back again. “It’s…it’s dark outside. I’ve been here all day.” She couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge the much larger question of how the other woman had made a window appear where one hadn’t been before.

“Like I said, let’s talk about where you are first.” Willow gestured towards the window. “You’re not in California anymore.”

Buffy walked with her to the window and took a look outside. It had to be a dream. The strange girl who could make magical windows appear was now showing her a place that looked like a Tim Burton movie. She saw oddly shaped buildings that seemed to be wrought from iron and heard a flurry of whispers. It was hard to tell by moonlight, but she would have sworn the flowers growing below her window were black. She nodded. Oh, yeah, magic girl, inhumanly hot guy, black flowers and whispering wind; definitely a dream.

Relieved by her conclusion that it was all just a strange dream, she decided to simply go with it. “Where am I?”

“The Underworld.”

She giggled. “I’m in the movie with the vampires and the werewolves. Damn, what did I eat last night?”

Willow frowned. “No. Hades. You’ve been brought to Hades.”

“Hell?”

“No, it’s not…I mean parts of it…but you’re not going there.” Willow sighed, this was not going well.

Buffy trembled. “Am I…am I dead?”

“What? No! Of course not.”

“Then what am I doing here?” Fear had brought an edge of hysteria to her voice.

“Oh! Oh, I can see why you’d think…but I told you, you’re here to be with your soul mate.”

Buffy walked back over to the bed. She needed to sit down. “But I want to go home.”

Willow shook her head. “You can’t. I mean…if you decide that you don’t want to be with him, there’s a test, but…why wouldn’t you…”

“A test? Like what?”

Shrugging, Willow came to sit beside her. “It varies.”

Buffy’s eyes widened suddenly. “Wait, I remember this. I read about this in high school. The girl, she was like the daughter of some Goddess and the God of Hell wanted her to be his wife.” Her brows knit together in concentration.

“It’s Hades.”

“Right. Whatever. The point is, he kidnapped her. But then there was some kind of deal or something.” She looked up at Willow triumphantly. “She ate the seeds, pomegranate seeds. That’s why she had to stay. So as long as I don’t eat anything…”

A deep voice interrupted. “The test is different in each case. You’re too mortal to be expected not to eat for the length of your stay.”

Buffy wasn’t surprised to see him when she looked up. “So, it’s you. You’re like the God of Hell or Hades or whatever?”

William laughed. “Not hardly.”

“But you kidnapped me so you could force me into being your…your wife?”

His shoulders slumped. “That’s why you were brought, but I wouldn’t ever…”

“Well, I’m not going to do it. I’m going to figure out the test and I’m going to go home. What kind of freak kidnaps girls and expects them to marry him? You’re disgusting.”

William’s eyes went cold. “Very well. Willow, if you would see to it that our guest has everything she needs.”

Willow gasped. “Oh! But, William?” She watched him walk stoically from the room before turning back to Buffy. “Oh, why did you have to be so cruel?”

“Me!” She stood up and railed at her in disbelief. “He kidnapped me and dragged me to Hell! He probably drugged me and…”

Willow shook her head. “William did no such thing.” She sighed heavily. “Will you be needing anything else tonight?”

Buffy slumped on the bed. Willow was clearly not going to be an ally. “Nope. I’m as good as a prisoner can be.”

Willow considered telling Buffy that she was free to wander the grounds and that she really wasn’t a prisoner, but she was too worried about the heartbroken boy she’d raised. She left without another word.

Guilt had Willow heading back towards Buffy’s room after only an hour. The girl was undoubtedly terrified, she realized. She knew that she’d been too hard on her, William was her weak spot. She’d always hated seeing him hurt. Willow decided to try befriending the girl again. It was too important to risk it all by rushing things. Love was a delicate matter.

She wasn’t really surprised to find William sitting outside Buffy’s door. He’d been waiting for her for a long time. It was only natural that he’d have a hard time staying away from her. Besides, she knew that he tended to rush into things with his heart in his hands. Too often she’d seen his openness and sensitivity used against him. Willow had spent years being his protector. Hades wasn’t really hell, but that didn’t make it a good place for a gentle little boy to grow up either.

She sighed as she turned the corner and spotted him with his head in his hands. She realized that he was listening to the girl cry. She knelt down beside him.

“Why must you do this to yourself?” She reached over and lifted his chin up so that she could see his face. She knew he was barely holding back tears of his own. “You have to give this time. She just got here. She’s scared.” William started to turn away, but she held strong. “Give her a few days to get used to the idea. She isn’t going anywhere,” she reminded him. “You have a month.”

He gave her a weak smile. “I don’t think it’ll matter much. She already hates me. She was stolen away from her life. She’s not going to…”

Willow shook her head. “She will. You have to give her a chance to get to know you.” She smiled widely as she cupped his face in her hands. “How could any girl resist you?”

He scoffed. “Yeah, I’m a right catch. She’ll be jumping up and down to give up life as she knew it to stay here with me.” He shook his head.

“Will!”

He smiled gently at the small red-haired woman who he alternately thought of as his best friend and his mother. “Come on, Red. She’s right. I am a freak,” he shrugged, “Even by local standards.”

“Nonsense. You’re smart and handsome and you have a kind heart. Any woman would be honored to have you.”

William smirked. “Any woman, huh? So you’d…” He teased her and wiggled his eyebrows.

She blushed and swatted at him. “Eww…I changed your diapers.”

“I was seven when we met, quite done with nappies, thank you.”

“Still…”

He grinned. “Still –you have your eye on that cute blonde girl that takes care of the archives.”

Willow paled. “How did…who…is it obvious?”

“Only to me. I’m fairly certain that most everyone else thinks you’re still playing for the other team.”

She shrugged. “I haven’t really been playing on any team lately and I mean…I’m not really sure that I’m…ready to…you know, get traded. I…She’s nice and…”

He laughed gently. “I think it’s great, Willow. It’s nice to see you happy.”

Reaching over to rumple his hair, she nodded. “I want the same for you, Sweetie.”

“Yeah I know, love.” He let his head fall back against the wall and sighed. “But she…” He cringed as Buffy’s sobs grew louder.

“She’s scared. Give me a couple of days. I’ll show her around, help her get used to the idea and then you can swoop in and make with the wooing.”

He scoffed. “Sure, and I’ll just turn all bloody Casanova, presto change-o. What do I know about wooing a girl like her?” He looked wistfully at the door as though he could see through to the girl inside. He wanted nothing at that moment more than he wanted to go in and wipe the tears from her cheeks. So few of the people that he knew were with their soul mate, he just hadn’t understood how fully she would call to him. He’d barely laid eyes upon her and she was already all that he could think about.

Willow smiled. “She’s your soul mate, William. You’ll be you and you’ll be perfect. Now go, and don’t worry, I’m going take care of her.”

She stood up, placed her hands on her hips and gave him the same look she’d given him when he was eight and he’d tried arguing that he didn’t actually need to eat his vegetables. She had spoken; there would be no more discussion.

William stood up and gave the door one final sorrow-filled glance before heading to his own quarters.

Willow watched until he rounded the corner and then opened Buffy’s door. “Alright,” she started, “Let’s try this again.”

Buffy sniffled as she looked up at the other woman in surprise.

“First off. You are not a prisoner. There’s no need for you to hide away in this room.”

“But I can’t go home.”

Ignoring her, Willow continued. “Next. William didn’t have anything to do with bringing you here. Angelus and Ripper asked Aphrodite to find you and when she did, they fetched you.” She saw the rising outrage and argument in Buffy’s eyes and put up her hands. “I’m not saying that they handled things well. They never lived in the mortal realm and…they aren’t…gentle.” She shrugged. “But they meant well. You have to understand that they cannot comprehend you not wishing to be here.”

Buffy gave the window a glance. “Really?” She looked skeptical. “They think that girls love being kidnapped and brought to hell?”

The redhead sighed deeply. “It’s not hell. You have to get past your preconceived notions. There’s really no time to waste wallowing.” She tilted her head and studied Buffy. “Get dressed. We’re going out.”

Buffy’s head snapped up. It wasn’t what she’d expected. “Out where?”

Willow giggled. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll start with the tourist stuff.” She walked over and sat down beside her on the bed. “I’m going to show you around. Go on now,” she nodded towards the trunk of clothes, “put on some fresh clothes.”

Buffy looked down at the now wrinkled dress that she’d worn to go out dancing with her friends the night before. She was tempted to refuse to change. It felt like giving in. But she also didn’t really want to wander around in her current attire. She nodded grudgingly.

Buffy wouldn’t have admitted it but freshening up and putting on clean clothes was delightful. She’d had to hide her amazement upon discovering the small wardrobe of offerings left in the trunk in her room. Not only was every item in it her exact size, they were all things she would have chosen for herself if she could have afforded them. Not wanting to appear too enthusiastic in front of the other woman, she quickly picked out a soft butter yellow knit dress and a white cardigan. She smiled slightly when she found a pair of white ballet flats at the bottom of the trunk.

In less than fifteen minutes, Buffy stood before Willow with a freshly washed and moisturized face, a perky ponytail and comfortably preppy outfit.

Willow smiled. “Well, that’s better, isn’t it?” She took a brief moment to study the girl Aphrodite had picked for William. Small and pretty, the girl looked delicate, but Willow had already seen plenty of evidence of a strong backbone. She suspected that William would appreciate the dichotomy. Willow hoped that the girl would bring William not only the love that he deserved but a boost in confidence. She was tired of seeing his talents overlooked, simply because they weren’t the ones expected of immortals residing in Hades.

Buffy’s momentary calm quickly faded under Willow’s scrutiny. She wondered what she had been thinking. They were about to go tour Hell and she’d actually focused on picking a cute outfit. She couldn’t even imagine what Willow was going to show her. Would there be people getting tortured? Buffy didn’t think she could handle seeing that. Were most people here dead? She had so many questions, but she worried that getting the answers would only make things worse. Finally, wringing her hands, she asked. “Is it scary?”

The redhead frowned. “What? No, I mean not really.” She sighed. “It’s darker here and different, but I’m sure parts will feel like home.” She considered explaining more. She considered telling Buffy that she wouldn’t be here if she didn’t belong, but decided that it was all too complicated for the moment and that it would be best to simply address the girl’s concerns head on. “Come on.” She held out her hand.

Anxiously, Buffy let Willow led her out of the room. She frowned when they entered an entirely normal looking hallway. If the color scheme hadn’t been so unique, she’d have thought it looked like an upscale hotel. She hadn’t ever seen a hotel with slate grey walls and charcoal carpeting.

Willow walked quickly and Buffy scanned the doors and hanging art along the way.

“It can be like a maze around here, but if you just stay to the left,” she paused before smiling triumphantly, “you’ll be at the library.”

Buffy’s eyes widened when Willow tugged her into a cavernous room. The library was several stories high, but the center of each floor was left open so she could stare up at the impossibly high ceiling. There was quiet music being played and a small number of people reading or speaking in hushed voices. Buffy didn’t think that they looked dead, but wasn’t sure what that would look like here. She supposed that, aside from its size and the rich-looking leather seating scattered about, it looked like a fairly standard library. “It’s huge.” She didn’t bother to hide her awe.

“W…wwe have ev..every book ever written and some that…that haven’t been.”

Buffy looked over in surprise at the young woman who had spoken. She was standing right next to them, but Buffy hadn’t noticed her arrival. The girl smiled prettily at Willow before dropping her gaze to the floor. “Every book?”

Willow grinned. “Buffy this is Tara; she’ll help you find anything you’d like. She knows this library better than anyone else here.”

Buffy watched Tara blush. She certainly didn’t seem very threatening. She held out her hand. “I’m Buffy.”

Tara looked up surprised. “Oh, but I know!” She blushed again. “I…I mean…we all know who you are.” She curtsied. “It will be my pleasure to help you in any way.”

Buffy frowned and looked quizzically at Willow. She wondered if she was supposed to curtsy back. Buffy hadn’t curtsied since she’d dropped ballet at seven. Her ballet teacher had told her parents that they’d be better off finding an activity better suited to Buffy’s particular talents. In other words, she was too rambunctious for thirty minutes of position drills to classical music. She’d been thrilled at the time, but worried now that she ought to have been practicing those curtsies. Biting her lip, she bowed deeply at the waist.

Willow laughed. “You don’t have to bow, sweetie. Tara’s fully mortal and kind of old fashioned, so she curtsies for the immortal crowd.”

Buffy shook her head. “But I’m not immortal.”

“No, not fully, but you would have been chosen for William if you weren’t at least a quarter.”

“A quarter what?”

“God, silly.” Willow smiled. “Surely you realized that you were different?”

Buffy shook her head. “I think you’ve got the wrong girl. I’m really not-”

“One of your grandparents was fully immortal, Buffy. There had to have been signs. You must have skills or abilities that seem…special.”

“My grandparents…” Buffy shook her head. “No, they’re all normal.”

Tara interrupted quietly. “She doesn’t know.”

Willow shook her head. “I’m supposed to be explaining, but I don’t even know where to start.”

“B..Buffy. Your grandmother probably didn’t even know. That’s sometimes how it works. The…the Gods can make it seem like they are someone else.”

Willow nodded. “Or sometimes they are just really charming.”

“And,” Tara continued with an increasingly confident tone, “they’re all really good looking.” She shrugged.

Buffy looked back and forth between them. “You’re trying to say that one of my grandmothers slept with a God? But maybe she didn’t know? And now that makes me…”

“Partially immortal.”

Buffy shook her head. “That’s crazy. I mean immortal seems like something that you either are or you aren’t and I’m definitely not.”

“Oh! But you are. I can see it in your aura. You’re all golden and shimmering. Your real grandfather must have been very powerful.”

Buffy stared at Tara for a moment. “My aura? Like from yoga class?”

Willow laughed. “Tara can tell a lot about a person from their aura.” She looked at Tara and smiled. “Go ahead, honey. Tell her.”

“Well, g-gold is energetic. You’re –you’re not shy and you laugh easily.” She tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes in concentration. “Nothing about you says cautious. You jump in, confident. You attract admiration— effortlessly. People simply come to you. But you’re kind.” She smiled suddenly. “I’m glad for that. You drive fast. You like movement, dancing, or maybe running.” She turned to Willow. “She’s nothing like I would have expected.”

Willow nodded.

Buffy frowned. “So maybe there was a mistake. I’m the wrong girl? I could go home.”

“She’s never wrong. She was simply more right in this case than any of us could have predicted.”

“I really don’t understand.”

“You will.” Tara said gently. “I can see the changes already, bits of refection, an awakening of sorts.”

Buffy just stared at them. Were they serious with all this?

Willow touched her arm. “I’m thinking now that the library isn’t really your speed. I’ve got another idea. Come on.” She gave Tara a quick smile before leading Buffy back out to the hall. “We are going to go downstairs.”

Paling instantly, Buffy froze. “What’s downstairs?”

Willow took one look at her face and started giggling. “It’s not like a torture chamber, I promise.” She paused. “Actually William does consider it a torture chamber, but I think you’ll love it.” She reached out and placed her hand on the wall. Instantly, an elevator appeared. She stepped inside and turned to grin at Buffy. “Come on.”

Swallowing hard, Buffy followed her into the elevator. The door closed and then quickly opened. She looked at Willow in surprise. “But we didn’t even move.”

The redhead shrugged. “Things are kind of different here. Physics are…well, the Gods don’t really think that physics should apply to them.”

“And you’re a god?”

Willow laughed while shaking her head. “Definitely not. I’m all mortal.”

Buffy frowned and started to ask another question, but Willow pushed her shoulder. “Go on. I want you to see this.”

Buffy stepped into the pale grey hallway and found herself standing instead in what looked like a large nightclub. Electonica filled the air with a heavy base backed beat and the place was filled with people dancing. Groups sat on luxurious looking round couches and drank colorful cocktails out of an array of delicate glassware. It almost looked like a club she’d visit with her friends, almost. The first thing she noticed was their clothes. Not even on Halloween would she have encountered the complex variety of styles and eras of fashion she was looking at right then. There was a woman dancing on a small elevated platform wearing what appeared to be a toga that left her right breast entirely uncovered. The bartender had pointed ears and three silver hoops pierced through his left eyebrow. Also, he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Two women sitting on barstools looked liked extras from a movie about Marie Antoinette, complete with wigs and pale face powder, but the man flirting with them wore jeans and a black leather jacket. Buffy turned to Willow with wide eyes. “What is this?”

“What does it look like?”

“Costume party?” She shrugged and glanced at the dancers again. “Costume party at the Playboy Mansion?”

Willow frowned. “The Playboy Mansion?”

“You know, like…porn?”

“Pornography?” She laughed hard. “I forgot how prudish it was up there lately.” She shook her head. “This place is kind of tame. If you’d rather it, I can take you to an orgy.”

Buffy stepped back and put her hands up palms out. “No. Nope. No orgy for me, thank you very much.”

“I was teasing, mostly. William would probably kill me if I took you to an orgy.”

Buffy frowned at the reminder of how she’d ended up in the truly bizarre situation she was in. “He may be the boss of you, but I don’t really care what he would or wouldn’t like. If I wanted to go to an…an…a thing, I would.” Did they all actually expect her to just go along with this?

“He is.” Willow shrugged. “The boss of me. But I didn’t really mean that he’d kill me. He’s not like that.”

“Yeah. Look, I’m sure that he’s great, for a creepy guy who lives in Hades, but he’s not for me. I’m going home.”

Shoulders slumped, Willow shook her head. “Please try to keep an open mind. You’re being given an amazing gift.”

“I was kidnapped. One minute I was hanging with my friends at a club kind of like this one and the next thing I knew I woke up in…Hades. How is that a gift? My friends must be completely freaked out and my parents, I can’t even imagine how worried they are. What am I going to tell them when I get back? How could I possibly explain this and not end up committed?”

“Let’s worry about that later. I say we get drinks and I’ll introduce you around.”

“I’m pretty sure that agreeing to get a drink with someone is how I got into this mess.”

“I know that was bad, but really there are reasons…extreme circumstances. Angelus meant well. He really does love his cousin…in his own way.”

“The kind of way where he collects girls for him.”

Willow shook her head and grinned. “You make it sound like he does this all the time. You’re William’s soul mate, just you. I mean, sure Angelus has tried fixing him up with local girls some, but—” She stopped suddenly and blushed. “That’s not really the point. You’re the only girl he’s ever brought back from above. You’re special. William has been waiting for you for a very long time.”

Buffy agreed to stick around and sip on a diet coke. Willow explained that calories weren’t an issue in The Underworld, but she still figured she’d better be safe than sorry. She then followed the red-haired girl around the room and nodded politely while she was introduced to at least a dozen strange people. All of them smiled at her excitedly and congratulated her as though she had just gotten engaged, but she still got the impression that they were eyeing her with an odd degree of curiosity. Of course she really wasn’t dressed for clubbing. She asked Willow if it made her stand out but Willow only laughed and glanced around pointedly.

“So why does everyone keep looking at me like I’ve grown horns or a third breast?”

“We don’t get a lot of new people. It’s always a little exciting. And there’s the whole soul mate thing. There are very few people with their true partner.” She gave a small shrug. “I suppose the fact that you’re William’s only makes it more interesting.”

“Why?” Buffy couldn’t help letting a suspicious note enter her voice.

“William is…special.”

She asked why, but Willow only told her that she’d see for herself and continued showing her around the club. When she yawned, Willow led her back to her room.
“I thought you’d want to dance.”

“Yeah, I guess I’m not really in a dancing kind of mood. You know…what with having been kidnapped and—”

“Brought to Hades. I know.” Willow sighed. “Your door isn’t locked. You’re free to come and go as you wish. If you get lost, just tell someone who you are and they’ll help you find your way back. Oh, and if you’re looking for William, he’s usually in the library.”'

“I’m not.”

Willow nodded. “Right. I’ve got some work to do, but I’ll check in with you later.”

Buffy dropped down on the bed and sighed. If this was all a dream it was lasting an incredibly long time. Maybe she was in a coma.

William closed his book and strode across his room. He frowned at his image in the mirror. He could glamour, not as well as Angelus since it wasn’t his talent, but he could change his looks subtly. He wondered if it would help. Maybe she would like him better if he were…different. He touched his hair. He knew it was a problem but he wouldn’t change it. It was too important that he remember who he was. Surely Aphrodite wouldn’t have sent him a soul mate that couldn’t understand that, right? He wished he knew. He’d read everything he could find about soul mates, but there were still too many unanswered questions. A person always had a soul mate, but chance and free will meant that most people spent many lifetimes without their true partner. They could love other people. Often they considered themselves happy, but deep down their souls still longed for their missing halves. Only people who are bonded with their true partner could know real contentment. Only they could ever fully achieve their own potential.

William just wanted someone to love. He’d barely spent a moment with the girl Ripper and Angelus had found, but he knew they were right. She was the one, the one Aphrodite had chosen.

Bracing himself for the rejection he knew would follow, William made his way back to Buffy’s room. He decided that he loved her name: Buffy Summers; it was simply perfect.

He knocked lightly on her door and waited.

Buffy pulled the door open quickly and then froze. “Oh! I…I thought it would be Willow.” She stepped back.

William nodded. “I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to make you more comfortable.”

She lifted her chin. “I’d like to go home.”

“I know.” He sighed. “I can’t do that.”

“Can’t or won’t? They only brought me here for you. If you say that you don’t…um…want me, then I could go home.”

“I can’t say that.” He said it quietly but he didn’t look away. Willow had told him to be himself, to be honest. He had to try.

Her eyes widened and she turned away. “Then I guess you can’t do anything for me.”

“Have you eaten? I can have food brought up if you tell me what you’d prefer.”

“I’m not hungry.”

He walked towards her. “Please, love. I promise you that the food and drink are safe. The test is…I’ve asked that…it’s fairer than that.”

She spun around. “What is it, the test?”

“That would be a secret.”

“But you know?” She eyed him curiously. If she’d met him at a coffee shop she’d have felt completely safe with him. Aside from his shockingly bleached hair, he looked rather academic. He wore khaki pants, a dark blue button down shirt and brown leather shoes. She had the impression he’d be at home in a jacket with elbow patches and reading a book with a dusty cover. Something about his voice made her think that he was gentle and honest. She found herself struggling to remember that he was the enemy.

He nodded. “I do. I won’t try to trick you. I would never…”

“Why couldn’t you get a girlfriend on your own? Why does it…” She sighed. “So someone said that I was your soul mate, right?”

“Aphrodite.”

“Right. I can’t even go there right now. But… why couldn’t you just come introduce yourself? Why let them grab me from the club?”

“I didn’t know they planned to do that, I…I can’t go above.”

“But they can?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Why?”

William pointed to her hand. “May I?” When she didn’t protest, he lifted her hand and placed her palm against the center of his chest.

She narrowed her eyes slightly and shrugged. “I don’t understand.”

“No heartbeat.”

“You?” She looked at her hand and then back to his face. “You’re—?”

“Dead, pet. I’m dead. You need a heartbeat to go above.”

“So you’re not immortal?” She looked at her hand again. Now that she knew, it seemed so obvious. He didn’t have a heartbeat.

“Half. My mother was human.”

“And if you’re only half-immortal you can die,” she said quietly before nodding. It made sense. She’d told Willow and Tara that immortal was an all or nothing status.

“No one is truly immortal. We are simply very difficult to kill.”

“And someone killed you.” It was the strangest conversation she had ever had. She realized that she was trembling but couldn’t have explained why. He was a stranger, but somehow the knowledge of his death brought her an almost physical pain. She wondered if she should tell him that she was sorry that he was dead. Do you give condolences to someone who has died? He looked fine, better than fine if she was being honest.

“It wasn’t easy, even a half-blood can take quite a lot of damage before…” He trailed off, distracted by the feel of her hand on his chest. William reached up, took her hand and gently rubbed his thumb across her knuckles.

Buffy pulled her hand away slowly and walked across the room. She needed to put some distance between them. She wanted to think clearly. “Why? What had you done?” She turned to look at him in time to see his shoulders slump and hurt fill his eyes. She was immediately sorry.

“You truly are very determined to make me the villain of this piece, aren’t you?” He sighed. “I hadn’t done anything. I didn’t know anything.” He sighed and walked to the door. “I’ll give Willow leave to tell you the tale if you wish. I can’t.”

An image of Willow looking at her with a disappointed expression flitted through Buffy’s mind. This time she knew the other woman would be right. He’d been telling her about his own death and she’d assumed that he’d earned it. She stepped towards him quickly. “Wait. Please.”

He froze, his back tensed and his gaze never left the hallway floor.

“I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair. If you stay, I’ll…I’d like it if you’d stay.”

William remained painfully still in her doorframe.

She lifted a trembling hand and placed it on his shoulder. “If you don’t want to tell me, it’s okay. I won’t ask.”

He covered her hand with his own before speaking. “I’ve never told anyone. I didn’t have to, everyone here has always known and I—I don’t like talking about it.”

A voice in her head told her that she should have let him leave. If he thought she was a bitch, maybe he’d send her home. But the look in his eyes when she’d asked so casually what he’d done to deserve death was tearing a hole in her heart. She couldn’t be responsible for causing anyone that kind of pain. It was incomprehensible. “You don’t need to talk about it. Tell me about something else. There are plenty of choices, a whole Underworld full of things I don’t understand at all.”

He turned slowly, gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand. “Will you come have a seat with me?” He nodded toward a small couch and, gripping her hand tightly, led the way. He turned his body as they sat, so that he could look at her. “You’re beautiful. I haven’t said that, but I should have. I wasn’t expecting it.”

Buffy furrowed her brow. “Why not? They didn’t tell what I looked like?”

“I’ve told you before I was not privy to the plan. I didn’t even know that they’d petitioned Aphrodite on my behalf. I only meant that when I’ve considered who my soul mate might be, I never anticipated someone as beautiful as you.”

Still confused, she frowned. “But why not?”

He shrugged. “I could easily have loved someone who was plain.”

“So, I’m too pretty for you?” She laughed softly. “This is starting to sound like an elaborate pick up line.”

“I assure you, I don’t know any lines for such an occasion. I meant to say that your beauty is a little intimidating.”

She laughed again and shook her head. “You’re kind of strange, you know?”

“I do.” He laughed, unable to hold back the sudden burst of joy he felt when she smiled at him. He gave her hand another squeeze. He had to tell her; she was his soul mate. “My father was living as a human when I was born, either in hiding or simply in love.” He shrugged. “I don’t know which. He never told me that we were anything other than we appeared to be. I never knew his true name or mine, if I was given one. I’d like to believe that in time I would have seen something or he would have told me the truth, but I was still very young when they came.”

She frowned and asked gently, “who? When who came?”

“The ones who killed him… all of us. There were several. They disguised themselves as hideous beasts and attacked. My father was caught by surprise. I don’t remember much. I can hear my mother screaming. I remember my father’s eyes changed and that household items flew in circles around us.” He shook his head. “I’m told it must have taken days, even a group with tremendous power would need days to shatter the soul of an immortal.”

“I don’t understand what that means.”

“They destroyed him completely. He no longer exists in any realm. They meant the same end for me, but Ripper interrupted them. My father normally spoke with him and he realized there was a problem and came. He was too late to help my father, his brother, and nearly too late to help me. My heart had stopped, but I was still…my soul was intact. He brought me here and charged Willow with looking after me.”

Her eyes glistened. “You grew up here?”

“In a way. Dead things don’t grow, not even here.” He gave her a sad smile. “I was seven years old when I died. I still appeared so a year ago.”

Buffy gasped. “But how?”

“The gods took pity on me—gave me the body I’d have had if I’d survived to adulthood.” He reached up and touched his white hair. “It’s a reminder—like a scar on my soul that shows through.”

“Oh my god, William. That’s…” She brought her hand up to cover her mouth.

He leaned in. “Best to add an s around here.”

“What? Oh. Right.” She nodded distractedly. “When did it happen?”

“You mean the change?”

“No. I mean…when did you die?”

“Eighteen Thirty Four.”

Her mind reeled as she did the math. “You were seven for—”

“A very long time.”

“I don’t think I can even understand what that means.”

“I wasn’t truly a child. At first I was, of course, but over time…”

He was trapped. The thought screamed itself in her mind. He spent nearly two hundred years trapped in the body of a dead seven year old boy. “I—I…”

“Please don’t. It wasn’t as bad as you’re imagining. I had Willow and…I’d very much like it if you could try to see me as I am now.”

“I do, of course I do.”

He raised an eyebrow skeptically.

She sighed. “I can’t hear that story and not feel anything for the little boy. I’d have to be heartless not to think about it.”

“I’ve grown weary of being the freak, love.”

“I don’t think you’re a freak.”

He tilted his head to the side and studied her. “Just strange, then?”

Buffy grinned. “Definitely strange.”

“I suppose that is progress, but I’d very much like to know that you’ll eat.”

She shrugged. “I already have. I couldn’t have passed it, if that was the test; Willow said something about thirty days. I couldn’t survive thirty days without food and I figured if I died I’d lose, so…” She smiled. “I’m keeping up my strength so I can make a great escape.”

William returned to his room shortly after telling her his tale. Even after she’d said she was plotting an escape, his heart soared. She’d smiled at him and held his hand and he was certain that he’d never felt more alive. He sat at his desk and tried to find words to describe what he was feeling. He couldn’t. He couldn’t sit still. He bounced up and headed to the library to find Willow.

It only took him a few minutes to locate her, despite the uncountable number of shelves and rooms in the space. “Willow? Love?” He found her in the back stacks standing very close to Tara and froze. “Oh! Sorry, dolls. I’ll…” He turned away quickly and headed to the central lounge area with a huge grin on his face. He dropped on to a long couch and placed his feet over the arm.

Willow found him there several minutes later lying with one arm dangling towards the floor and the other draped across his face. Laughing softly, she sat beside him and slide close so his head rested on her lap. “Did you need something, handsome?”

He closed his eyes and folded his hands on his stomach. “I’m sorry I ruined your moment back there. I didn’t—”

“We were just talking. You didn’t interrupt anything. Just talking.”

William blinked open one eye. “Looked like good talking then.”

She blushed lightly and smiled. “It was. It was…really nice talking.”

He grinned again and closed his eyes. His voice was almost wistful. “Nice talking is…brilliant, isn’t it?”

Willow laughed as she started running her fingers through his hair. “Did you have a nice talk with Buffy, sweetie?”

“She’s so pretty, Willow.” He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. “Don’t you think?”

“I do.” She nodded.

“She told me that she was only eating to keep up her strength so she could escape.”

“Oh no! I’m sorry, hun.”

“No. She was smiling at me when she said it. A real smile, Willow, like we’re friends.”

Willow tried not to frown. “Well, that’s…good, I guess.”

“I told her…about me.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “You did?”

He nodded.

“How did that…how was that?”

He frowned slightly and shrugged. “It was…she said I was strange.”

“Oh.” Willow looked at his grin and shook her head. None of this was sounding very promising. “I see.”

“I think I’m in love.”

She smiled at that. “I know.” She couldn’t hold back a small laugh. “I know you are, sweetie.” She’d always known that when it happened, it would happen hard and fast. She allowed herself the wistful memory of a much smaller William excitedly explaining that one of the dancers at the party had said she would be his friend. It had taken several years to turn the eager little boy he’d been into the reserved man he’d become.

He reached up and grabbed her hand. “Are you in love?”

“What? No. I mean…I don’t...we were just talking.”

William laughed. “I think you are. I think perhaps I’d best go ask Miss Tara what her intentions are towards my Willow.”

“Don’t you dare.”

He waggled his eyebrows. “It is my duty to look out for you—can’t just let her take advantage.”

She laughed. “I could still take you over my knee, you know?”

“If you were going to beat me, you’d have done it when I tried to rewrite the ending for Romeo and Juliet.”

Willow winced. “On the original, hand-written copy—oh, that was…”

“I know. You should have me caned; gods know I’d earned it.”

“Like I could with you looking at me with those big sad eyes and crying about how you just wanted to give them a happy ending.” She shook her head. “We’re both lucky I didn’t start handing over the other great tragedies.”

Laughing, he sat up and pulled Willow into a hug. “I love you, red.”

She gave him a tight squeeze. “I love you too, sweetie.” She cupped his face in her hands, kissed his forehead, and smiled. “Sometimes it’s still a little strange to see you all grown up. I miss that curly-haired little boy that used to fall asleep on my lap.”

“You were a good mum, love. I hope you get another chance. You know I’ll do anything I can for you.”

Willow’s eyes widened at the rare mention of her status in The Underworld. “Please, William.” She shook her head. “I’m content. Don’t ever worry for me.”

“It’s been a long time, Willow. We could ask.”

She shook her head. “Not yet.”

He nodded and kissed the top of her head. “Very well. I’d miss you horribly anyway.”

“Not true. It a few days you are going to be so completely wrapped up in your new romance that you’ll forget anyone else even exists.”

He grinned. “Never you.” He laughed. “I’m in love—bloody mad love.” He shook his head. “It feels insane.”

Willow smiled. “Yup, that’s love."
********************************************************************************************

Buffy groaned and dropped the book she’d been trying to read on the bed. It was probably a good book, the cover sounded interesting, but she was restless. She couldn’t just sit in her room all day. The boredom would drive her insane. She wondered if that was the test. She spent a lot of time wondering about the test. She also worried about her parents, tried reading from the stack of books that had been left in her room, tried on all the clothes in the chest, braided her hair and attempted to make a magic window. She felt a little silly about the last one.

When William stopped by to see her, she nearly jumped him. “Hi!” She gave him a big smile as she opened the door. “Take me out of this room.”

His eyes widened. “Of course, love. I thought Willow told you to go anywhere you wish.”

“She did.” Buffy nodded. “I’m just not big on the whole wandering about The Underworld by myself thing.”

“I didn’t think…I’m sorry, Buffy. Where would you like to go?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know.” Her eyes widened and she pointed a finger at him. “Not an orgy. Maybe just like...a walk.”

He laughed. “Have you seen the garden?”

“No.” She shook her head. “That sounds good. Is it?”

“It is. It’s lovely.” He offered her his arm. “It’d be honored to escort you. Perhaps you could tell me something about yourself as we walk.”

Buffy looked at him and laughed. He was wearing tweed pants and a black turtleneck sweater and looked good enough in them that she was sure a single picture would be enough to start a trend. “Do you usually sound like a Jane Austin novel when you’re trying to flirt with a girl?”

“If you say so.” He let his arm fall back to his side. “I was told women generally enjoyed Austin.”

Giggling, she nodded. “They do. Will I need a sweater?”

William frowned as he looked at the short-sleeved gray dress Buffy was wearing. “Yes or maybe. I’m not as affected by temperature as…most people are.”

She shrugged and pulled on the white cardigan she’d worn the day before. “Okay. Take to me the garden.”

William gestured to the left hall. “This way.” They walked in silence for a few moments before he asked, “Do you have a favorite book?”

“I don’t know. I like mysteries some and romances are the best for vacations.” They reached a large stone door and she watched as William pulled it open effortlessly. She frowned. “Oh. It’s dark. I didn’t realize that it was so late.”

He turned to meet her eyes. “It’s always dark here, Buffy. We don’t see the sun.”

“That’s terrible. I can’t even imagine that.”

He shrugged slightly and tried to ignore the pain her words brought to his stomach. “You would miss it then, horribly?”

“You don’t?”

“It’s been a very long time since I’ve known anything different than what I have. I never had a choice, of course, so I try to be grateful.”

She nodded and looped her arm through his in a silent apology. “So how do you have a garden in the dark?”

He smiled broadly. “Ah, well He had it created for Her, The Queen, so She wouldn’t grow homesick.” He turned to look at her as they began to walk through the large iron gates. “He loves Her, you know? I heard you telling Willow the tale you’d heard. Quite a lot gets left out of that tale. The day He took Her was not the day they met, I assure you. They’d been meeting in secret for some time because Her mother did not wish Her to marry.” He leaned close and whispered near her ear. “I’m not entirely certain they didn’t simply fake the kidnapping to get past Her mother, though I would never suggest such a thing to the Dread Queen.”

“You’re saying she’s happy here?”

He laughed. “She is The Queen of here, love.” He shrugged. “They fight some, there’s a thing with Adonis that has caused a fair plague of drama, but…yes. I would say She is very happy here.”

Buffy considered his words as she studied the strangely beautiful space she was in. She knew, of course, that he was telling her these things for a reason. Still, it was an interesting thought. “There are flowers.” She reached out to touch one and he quickly pulled her hand back.

“I’m sorry, love. Those are Hers alone, poison for anyone else to touch.”

She looked at him at shock. “I’d have died…just from touching that flower?”

“No. You’d have suffered.”

“How?”

He caressed her fingers lightly. “I can’t know. It’s different for everyone. Most things are here. Pain possibly or loss. Nothing I’d ever wish you to feel.”

“And yet you want me to stay here, to lose my family and friends and…the entire sun. How can you say that don’t want me to suffer?”

He turned away unable to look at the hurt in her gaze. “The other flowers are safe. It’s just these that are sacred.”

“William?”

He swallowed hard. “I wish I could give both worlds, Buffy. I can’t and so I have only one hope.”

“That I fail the test.”

“No. That’s not what I wish for at all. I want you to choose here. I want you to choose me. I want to…I want to be the one that you wish for.”

“Those are pretty words, William. But I can’t choose this. I have a life at home.”

“You could have one here. I’d spend eternity with your happiness as my only goal.”

Buffy sighed and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s not that I don’t find you…charming. I do. If we’d met differently, if you were a part of my world, I’d be plenty tempted.”

His eyes narrowed and his head tipped to the side. “Do you mean that?”

“Of course, I do. You’re handsome.” She shrugged. “Kind of funny. I…like you. I just can’t be with you.”

William nodded solemnly. “I understand.”

“Good.”

“I still hope to change your mind.”

Buffy opened the door and laughed. “You’re trying a new look today.” She shook her head at William’s spiked hair, black leather pants and shiny red shirt. He looked hot, but she'd found him nearly as irresistible in the khakis and button down he'd worn the day before when he'd shown up with a chess set and a bowl of popcorn.

“Willow said you might like to go downstairs, there’s music and...dancing.” He grimaced slightly. “Would you like that? To go with me?”

“Are you trying to ask me on a date, William?”

“Yes. We could go somewhere else if you prefer.”

“No. Dancing sounds fun. I’ll need to change.” She frowned as she turned to the chest of clothes.

“Oh. Yes. I almost forgot.” William picked up a box from the floor beside him and carried it to her bed. “I brought you something.”

Buffy watch him open the box with an arched eyebrow. “You brought something for me to wear. You’re broaching the creepy line again, mister. All I can say is that there better not be a toga that leaves one side all open in that box.”

William blushed. “No, I simply…Willow said that she didn’t think you’d wish to wear any the things you already had. I tried to find something more suitable.” He was careful not to mention that he’d selected the items she already had since she clearly did not appreciate the idea. “If you don’t like it, I wouldn’t wish for you to wear it.”

“Nice save. Let’s see what you brought.” Her eyes widened as he pulled out a short silver dress with a halter back and a low draped neckline. She sighed heavily and held out her hand. “Damn. I love it. Hand it over.” She took the dress and walked towards the bathroom. She stopped in the doorway and looked back at him over her shoulder. “I just want to make it clear that if I didn’t like the dress, I wouldn’t wear it.”

William nodded. “Noted.”

She walked into the bathroom started to remove her clothes and then froze. “William,” she called out tentatively.

“Yes, love.”

“Is the dress the test?”

He started laughing instantly. “No. It’s not a test, it’s just a dress.”

“Would you tell me if it was the test?”

“Probably not. I’m not allowed to tell you.”

Buffy sighed. She believed him. He’d laughed too easily to be lying. At least she thought so. She finished changing into the dress, brushed her hair and made use of a few of the tubes and bottles of high end cosmetics that filled a large basket near the mirror. She walked back out knowing that she looked good, but was still surprised by the awed expression on William’s face. Her stomach flipped, but she tried to play it casual. “So, do you like your selection?”

William clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. “I didn’t realize that it would leave so much of you…undressed.” His gaze slid down her body and settled on the tanned skin of her thighs.

She laughed. “I think I actually believe you.” She glanced down at the dress. “This would probably cause a bit of a fuss back home, but I have a feeling it’s considered tame around here.” She grinned. “Come on. Take me down there before I change my mind.”

She didn’t comment when he once again offered her his arm, she simply slid her hand into place and let him lead her down the hall and into an elevator he made appear out of nowhere. “Someone needs to teach me how to do that,” she muttered as the door reopened on the party.

“There’s no trick. I just know where they are.”

“Everyone just knows?”

“They know the ones that they use or the ones they are welcome to use. I couldn’t open a lift meant strictly for the use of The Queen. This particular space is more…egalitarian than many others.”

Buffy scanned the crowd. “So there’s what, like a mix of mortals and immortals here?”

“Yes and others: elves, nymphs—the occasional succubus.”

Her jaw dropped. “Seriously?”

He shrugged. “Is that a concern?”

“Nope. I’m just surprised. Didn’t realize those were all real things, you know?”

He laughed and leaned close. “I feel as though I should make an Alice in Wonderland reference.”

“Is it your favorite book?”

“No. I have far too many favorites to choose one. I do enjoy it though, I’d been here for quite awhile when it was first written, but it was still easy enough to understand what young Alice was experiencing.”

“Yeah. I’m there right now. Is the bartender an elf?”

William frowned. “I don’t believe so. He doesn’t talk about himself much but elves are typically taller.”

“So his ears…”

Grinning, William covered his own ears with his hands for a moment and then pulled them away to reveal distinctly pointed ears.

Buffy gasped and reached up to touch the tip of his ear. “What did you do? Are they usually like this?”

“It’s just a glamour. Most immortals have some talent for it. I can teach you, if you’d like. You can probably change small things— the color of your eyes, although that would be a shame.”

Buffy laughed. It was all too ridiculous not to. “Are you trying to say that I have pretty eyes?”

“Everything about you is pretty.”

She shook her head and sighed. “Thank you, William.” She reached up and touched his ear again. “This really is wild.”

“Do you prefer them? I can keep them like this if you do?”

She grinned. “It is kind of sexy, but I like your normal ears just—” She gasped. “Hold on. Are you making yourself look like this?” She was shocked, but it made sense; he was really far too attractive to be believed. “What do you really look like?”

William shook the glamour off his ears. “This is it, love. The real me or the real me wearing the somewhat ridiculous clothes that I thought you might like.”

She considered him skeptically. “Really?”

“Yes. This is me. Are you disappointed?” He worked hard to maintain a neutral expression.

“Are you fishing for compliments?”

“Not even a little bit.”

She exhaled quickly. “Fine. You’re gorgeous and I do like the clothes.” She shrugged. “Your normal clothes are also nice.”

A tall woman with waist length mahogany brown hair and slinky dress walked over to them and held out drinks. “Champagne—that’s what they celebrate with above ground these days, isn’t it?”

Buffy accepted the glass somewhat awkwardly. “It is. Thank you.”

“Thank you, Chlilatia.”

Chlitatia smiled and leaned closer to William. “Anything for you, Dollface.” She turned and walked away with an exaggerated sway.

William turned back to Buffy. “And that would be a succubus.”

“No way.” She glanced back at the woman in question. She was wrapping her arms around an extremely large man wearing a black suit and a cowboy hat. “Is the champagne safe?”

William laughed. “You’re rather paranoid about poison. Is that normal for you or a more recent tendency?”

She rolled her eyes. “So it’s safe to drink?”

“She feeds off sexual energy. It does her no good to harm us.”

“Cool.” She took a sip. “Yummy.” She drank the rest in a few large mouthfuls and placed the glass on a nearby table. “All right. Come dance with me, William.” She held out her hand.

“Oh.” He glanced at her hand and paled. “I’m not much of a dancer. I could just wait here.”

Buffy shook her head. “You can’t take a girl dancing and then refuse to dance.” She took his hand and tugged him towards the dance floor.

There was a series of shouts and a smattering of clapping when they got there.

“Whoa, Little Willy’s gonna show us his moves.”

“Oh yeah!”

William froze. “Please, pet. This is not going to—I don’t dance.”

Buffy leaned close and whispered, “Cool guys never do.” She winked. “It’ll be fine. You’ll sway and I’ll do all the work.” She hated bullies; she couldn’t let the crowd tease him. If necessary she’d deal with it high school style.

He gasped softly when she placed her hands on his stomach and slid them up to his neck.

“Trust me, relax and put your hands on my waist.”

He did as she said and circled her waist with his hands though he couldn’t quite stop them from shaking.

Buffy started moving slowly, seductively sliding her hips in time with the music. She spoke in a quiet whisper near his ear. “Pull me close and move with me.”

His fingers flexed and tightened on her hips before her tugged her closer so she was snug against him. “Oh, love this is…”

Buffy giggled softly. “I told you you’d like it.” She turned so that her back was against him and reached back to hold his hips. She tried to ignore the pressing evidence that showed just how much he liked it but she couldn’t really pretend being in his arms wasn’t warming her stomach and weakening her knees. Dancing like this was probably a mistake. She knew it. She knew that she should stay away from William altogether; they were both growing more attached to each other despite their impossible circumstances. Still, he pulled her in. Seeing him hurt was worse than being hurt herself. She truly couldn’t wrap her head around the idea that The Goddess of Love had specifically set them up, but she could acknowledge, if only to herself, that she’d done a good job. She could have fallen for him…if things had been different.

He flattened his palm on her stomach. “It’s a bloody revelation.”

Buffy turned around again just as the song changed to a faster, more traditional dance beat. She gave him a quick hug. “Come on. I think we’ve given them enough of a show. Let’s head out.”

William nodded and let her lead him back towards the elevator. He opened it and they stepped in together. He reached for her hand as they walked back out and she let him have it. They walked silently into her room and William shut the door behind her before speaking. “Thank you for that.” He ducked his head shyly.

She smiled and shook her head. “No. Thank you for taking me.” She rose up on her tippy toes and leaned close. “You really are very sweet.” She moved to kiss his lips in a gentle thank you, but he pulled away so quickly that his head bumped the wall behind them.

“No. That’s it—the test, love—you can’t…”

With a sharp gasp, she brought her hand up to cover her mouth.

“If you kiss me…”

Her mind reeled and her heart raced; she’d come so close. She’d have done it, no doubt. He’d stopped her. She looked at him in shock. He hadn’t let her fail the test. It was so much more than sweet. She didn’t know what she could ever say. If she’d ever doubted the sincerity of his feelings, she knew now that he loved her. He absolutely loved her. “William.”

He was looking away. “That’s…oh Goddess, I didn’t—” He vanished.

Buffy screamed. “William! Oh god—oh my god.” Terror made her blood feel like shards of ice in her veins. Where had he gone? He’d look scared. She was sure that, in the split second before he’d been torn from her sight, he’d looked scared.

William knelt on the cold stone floor before the Goddess Aphrodite. He pressed his chin against his chest. “My Goddess.”

“Do you think so little of my gift, pretty William?”

“No, my Goddess, I—”

“Stand up!”

William wasn’t surprised to find that he was no longer wearing a shirt. Aphrodite tended to dress people as she would prefer to see them. He was somewhat surprised to still be wearing pants. He stood up, back straight, but carefully kept his gaze on the floor. “Yes, my Goddess.”

“I thought you were mine, boy. Mine ever so much more than the Dread Queen’s.”

William knew better than to answer. A small shiver of fear ran down his spine. This was not a promising line of questions.

“Did I not find your perfect match, the one soul amongst the many that could bring you pleasure eternal? Did I not grant you the highest of all honors?”

“You did, my Goddess. I am truly honored by your benevolence and your love.”

Aphrodite reached over and lifted his chin with a single deceptively delicate-looking finger. “Do you not think she is the most beautiful of all women?”

William swallowed hard. “You, my Goddess, are by far the most lovely.”

“So you don’t like her?”

William cautiously raised his eyes to her. “I adore her with all of my heart. I could never be worthy of such a gift but would happily spend eternity working to become so.”

She scoffed. “And yet you pushed her away, ignored my rules and belittled the greatest honor a man can be given.”

“She needs to choose me for herself. If I’d let her get trapped here, she’d hate me, my Goddess. I could never win her heart if—”

She slapped him across the cheek hard enough to knock him back to the floor. “Don’t you dare lecture me on love! Do you forget who I am, little boy?”

“No, my Goddess.” William shook his head as he quickly came back up on his knees. He didn’t raise his eyes. “You are the source and queen of all hearts and the noblest passions. You are the greatest of lovers and the most perfect ideal of beauty.”

Aphrodite sighed and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I will not alter the test, my William. You have made your task more difficult, but you must still complete it. I have given her to you. If you lose her I shall have to think you do not honor my gifts.”

“I will always honor your gifts, my Goddess.” He bent forward and pressed his lips to the floor beside her pretty bare feet.

“Don’t disappoint me, William. Be a testament to love’s strength and power.” She leaned down and kissed the top of his head. “Claim her heart.”



Not knowing where else to go, Buffy ran to the library. “Willow! Please, Willow, you need to help me find him!” Tears ran down her cheeks.

Tara and Willow both appeared from behind a large shelf. Willow hurried towards Buffy. “What’s wrong, Buffy? What happened?”

“I need you to help me find William. He disappeared.” She sniffled and choked back a sob.

“Oh, sweetie. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. Did you try the—”

“No! You don’t understand. He told me about the test and then he really disappeared. Like we were talking and then he was gone, magic gone.”

Willow paled as she realized what had happened. She looked at Buffy angrily. “Why couldn’t you just love him?”

“I d—” I do. She’d almost said it. She knew suddenly that it was truth, that as impossible as it might seem, she had fallen head over heels in love in a matter of days. The hopelessness almost overwhelmed her. “Please, just tell me where he is.”

Willow softened slightly. “She took him.”

“Who? Who took him?”

“Aphrodite.”

“I don’t understand, Willow. Please.”

“This isn’t the realm of Christianity, Buffy. Chastity isn’t a virtue here, obedience and love are. And fear. The Gods bestow gifts and punishments at their will. William broke Her rules and he did it for you. At best She is simply angry.”

Buffy could barely whisper, “at worst?”

“Jealous. He cannot love you more than Her.”

Buffy nodded. “Can you help me find him?”

“No. I—”

“Willow!” A deep voice called out from across the room. “I need to find…Buffy.” William stopped a few feet away from them and looked at Buffy with soft eyes.

She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was so scared.” She hugged him tightly and then pulled back to look at his face. “I’ve never been so…” She lifted her hand to his cheek and brushed her thumb across the still forming bruise. “Oh, William. They hurt you.” Tears welled in her eyes.

“No, love.” He caught her hand and gave it a squeeze. “The Goddess of Love is a bit…I believe you’d call her a diva. She slapped me—very dramatic, that’s all.”

A tear slid down her cheek. “I’m so sorry, William. I never wanted to hurt you. Willow said they’d punish you. I…”

William turned his head to give Willow a stern glance. He spoke softly as he slid his arm under Buffy’s knees and scooped her into his arms. “Don’t worry about that. Let me get you back to your room. We can have a talk there if you like.”

Willow watched with a curious expression as Buffy buried her face against William’s shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. When he walked out the door, Willow turned back to look at Tara. “I’m scared for him. I think she could—”

Tara shook her head and placed her hand on Willow’s arm. “She loves him, Willow. Their auras have both changed so much. I’ve never seen anything like it. Try to be patient with her.”

“But if she leaves…”

“She’ll be just as destroyed as he will be.” She leaned close. “Trust love, Willow.” She kissed her softly. “It’s like a flower growing in the crack in a sidewalk. It finds a way.”

William sat on the couch in Buffy’s room and held her close, accepting the unusual sense of calm and comfort touching her brought. He’d read that it was common during his extensive research into soul mates, but knowing that it was possible was in no way the same as experiencing it. He felt more himself while holding her. He knew too, that it was only a taste of what joining with her truly could bring.

“William?”

“Hmm?” He reached one hand up to run down the length of her hair.

“What happened to your shirt?”

He laughed softly. “Apparently Aphrodite found it lacking.”

“She took your shirt?”

“In a way. Will you miss it?” He gave her a quizzical look as though it were a serious question.

She laughed softly. “I don’t right now.” Pink tinted her cheeks. Buffy wasn’t a shy girl, she’d never really had any trouble acknowledging an attraction before. But this was different. William was different. She honestly wasn’t even sure he would appreciate her appreciation of his lean but well-muscled chest. He might, she thought, find such thoughts shallow.

Surprise widened his eyes. “Buffy?”

She cupped his bruised cheek gently. “I can’t kiss you,” she said quietly, unable to keep the sharp note of sorrow from her tone.

“Oh, I wish you would though.”

“Is it all kisses? If I kissed your cheek—” She stopped suddenly and looked up at his eyes. “Don’t answer if you’ll get—”

“Relax, love. Damage is done. It has to be a real kiss—lips to lips. A true kiss, freely given, seals her fate.”

Buffy realized he was quoting the rule he’d heard and nodded. She brought a single finger up to touch his full bottom lip. The urge to kiss him was shocking. The knowledge that she couldn’t, that she’d never be able to taste his mouth, nearly brought a new round of tears. She leaned close, placed a light kiss on his cheek and rested her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

He held her until she fell asleep and for a long while after. When he felt her shiver, he carried her over to her bed and pulled a thick blanket up to cover her. He was tempted to crawl in beside her, but couldn’t bring himself to do so uninvited. Instead, he pulled a chair close and sat down to consider Aphrodite’s words.

When Buffy awoke she found him staring out the window. She sighed. “So I guess everyone knows where the windows are too.”

He smiled as he turned to her. “The window was simply covered. I did it myself. I thought seeing the outside might make you even more fearful. I think I rather underestimated you. You’re not really a cower-in-the-corner type of girl.”

“I was terrified when She took you.”

He got up and walked towards. “I know. I think it means you like me.” He gave her a flirtatious wink.

She couldn’t laugh, but she smiled. “I do.” Telling him that she loved him seemed cruel. She couldn’t stay; she couldn’t bring that kind of pain to her family and friends. His knowing that in another world, a better world, she’d stay and love him would only hurt him more.

William gestured to a tray near her bed. “I had food brought in. I thought you might be hungry when you woke.”

Buffy nodded and picked out a piece of cheese. “Do you ever eat?”

“Sometimes. I don’t require it, but it can be enjoyable.”

“Will you sit and eat with me, so I’m not eating alone?”

“Of course I will.” William tried not to stare at the expanse of her thigh being revealed where her dress had ridden up. He failed. He placed his hand on the bed beside her. “May I sit here?”

She nodded and scooted closer to the headboard as though to make room. William knew that she was trying to keep a little space between them, but he didn’t let it bother him. He sat down and selected an orange slice from the tray.

Buffy ate a large perfectly ripened strawberry. “Oh, wow.” Buffy swallowed and then reached for a second. “These are so good. You have to try this.” She held it out towards him.

William leaned in and took a bite.

She gasped slightly in surprise and then watched him slowly chew and swallow. When his tongue poked out to swipe across his lips and collect an errant drop of juice she whimpered.

It was at that moment William realized that she might want him nearly as much as he wanted her. Using her desire seemed wrong, somehow, but even as he had that thought he could see Aphrodite’s disappointed face. Any physical attraction between them would only reinforce the truth about their metaphysical connection. She was his soul mate; she was bound to want him. Showing her just how much she might want him, how much pleasure they could bring each other, was only part of providing the evidence she needed to make the right decision. Of course deciding to try a bit of seduction was an entirely different thing than knowing how to seduce a woman. He was going to have to get some advice.

In the meantime, there were things that needed to be said. “You’ll find love if you go back. You will. How could anyone not fall in love with you? So you’ll find a man and he will do his best to make you happy.” He saw Buffy open her mouth to speak and shook his head. “I wouldn’t want it to be any other way. I want you to be happy.”

“William—”

He slid his fingers into her hair and cradled the back of her head in his hand. “Just listen, please.” He leaned close. “It doesn’t matter. Whatever happens, it cannot change the truth. I will always be yours just as you’ll always belong with me. You’re mine, love. My soul mate, my dearest, mine.”

He was right. Of course she couldn’t say that. She also couldn’t tell him that she wouldn’t want someone else, that he’d already planted himself too deeply in her heart for her to even imagine being with another. Instead she tried to shake off the intense mood with a joke. “How very caveman of you.”

His brow furrowed with confusion.

She gave a fake growl and spoke in a deep voice. “Woman—mine. Watch now I make fire. You give me many fat babies.” She laughed.

William paled and looked away. He walked back to the window and silently surveyed the dark world.

After a few moments, Buffy walked over to stand behind him. “I was just—”

“It’s another thing I can’t give you.” He didn’t turn around. “Dead men can’t father children, Buffy. That’s not to say…I would never want to deny you the chance to be a mother if you wanted that. I couldn’t, but there are others here…you could…you could take a lover. I wouldn’t begrudge you the—”

“Stop.” Her hands fisted in anger. “Look at me, William. I can’t be with you. I can’t. I wish—but—don’t you dare let anyone convince you that you’re not enough. Any woman who could consider what you’re offering doesn’t deserve you.”

“Monogamy is not generally expected here. It happens often enough, but it’s not the norm.” He’d turned to face her, but he still kept his gaze on the floor. He was already certain that she wouldn’t choose him, he couldn’t give her another reason not to. When he’d said that he’d make her happiness his only goal, he meant it. He’d take the pain if it meant she’d get joy.

“Maybe it’s not the norm for this place, but it’s the norm for you. Isn’t it? You can’t change what you need.”

His eyes were cold and his voice flat. “I can’t change the fact that I’m unable to give you children myself. I can move past immature feelings like jealousy and—”

“Wanting someone to love you as much as you love them isn’t immature. Please. Please, promise me you’ll never let someone hurt you like that.”

“You talk as though I mean another woman. I don’t. There’s you. For me, there is only you.”

“I’m sure it seems that way now, but in time—”

His eyes narrowed. “Spare me your condescension.” He walked to the door and stopped. “There are things I must see to. If you require anything, you may ask Willow.”

Buffy watched him leave without giving her another look. She curled up on the bed and allowed herself the cry that she’d been holding back since the moment she’d realized that she loved him.

The Underworld is a hedonist’s dream come true. William knew that his many years there should have given him the skills needed to persuade Buffy to take her place in his bed. He now considered it unfortunate and even short-sighted that he’d never been one to partake in many of the entertainments available. His condition had limited his options in some ways, but mostly he had simply been uninterested. He’d discovered his true talents early and had always preferred to stay within that realm. Now facing the most important challenge of his afterlife, William turned to the same place he always did, Willow.

She wasn’t looking thrilled with the topic. “Didn’t we have this talk when you were little?”

“I’m well aware of the mechanics involved. I’m asking about the rest—the process. How am I to know what she most desires?

Willow sighed. “You talk to her. When you…touch her, you gauge her reactions.”

“You mean her pulse, her rate of breathing?”

Tara laughed softly.

William turned to frown at her.

“I-I’m sorry, William. I’m n-not making fun. It’s only that you are both making this far more difficult than it is. Surely, you’ve read that soul mates are perfectly matched.”

He nodded. “Of course, but that doesn’t help me.”

“But it does. Your...” She sighed slightly as she tried to find the right words. “Your fantasies will be very similar.”

He shook his head. “I don’t have—”

“You do. Everyone has fantasies. I could guess some of yours, based upon your aura, if you’d like.”

His eyes widened in shock. “You can see…”

“It’s an important part of your person, William.”

He glanced over at Willow.

She shrugged.

Tara reached over and gave his hand a gentle pat. “The thing you are thinking about right now but are too embarrassed to act on, that is exactly what you should do.”

His cheeks reddened. “You’re certain.”

“Yes.”

William nodded and stood up slowly.

He was nearly at the library door when Willow called out to him. “William.”

He looked back at her over his shoulder.

“Have fun.”



An hour later he stood in front of Buffy’s door and took a deep and entirely unnecessary breath. He squared his shoulders and knocked.

“Come in.”

William walked in to find Buffy using the playing cards he’d left in her room to build an elaborate structure. “Is there another building material you’d like me to procure for you? Paper cards don’t seem particularly suitable for a structure of that height.”

Buffy shook her head and gave him a serious look. “I thought you were mad at me. You stormed out before.”

“I apologize.”

She noted that he didn’t try to explain and understood why. She nodded and held up a card. “I don’t really know how to play solitaire.”

“I could teach you if you’d like.”

“That would be nice. I get bored in here and creeped out when I leave. Did you know that there’s a naked woman chained up in the library?”

“Leah. She’s a nice enough girl although she can be rather chatty at times.”

“Okay, but why is she chained up in the library?”

He shrugged. “She enjoys being displayed, I suppose.”

“Uh huh. So this is normal?”

“It’s happened fairly regularly for as long as I’ve been here.”

Buffy took a moment to process that thought. She shook her head and laughed. “Here…is very strange.”

“It is, though one adjusts in time. I actually came by to see if you might like to play a game with me.”

“I’ve got a deck of cards.” She grinned.

“I have a somewhat different game in mind. Have you been to the baths yet?”

Buffy frowned. “There’s a shower in my bathroom. I’ve used it, if that’s what you’re asking.” She shrugged.

William grinned. “This is rather different.” He held out his hand. “Let me show you.”

He pushed his nerves aside and found he was feeling oddly calm and resolute by the time they reached the baths. He led her into the room he’d had prepared and smiled at her gasp.

“Is that a hot tub? It’s huge. I’ve never…” Her eyes flitted around the large room, trying to take everything in. “It’s gorgeous.” Nearly everything in the room appeared to be formed from marble. The walls, the floors, even the large circular pool in the center of the room were smooth and gleaming. Steam rose in misty puffs from the water and the air smelled like honeysuckles. She turned back to William. “I don’t have a bathing suit.”

“It’s a private room, love. No one will intrude.”

“Oh. Oh! You mean…um…”

He reached over and caressed her cheek with his thumb. “You were right before when you said I would be jealous if another was given the honor of touching you. Indeed, I am going to have to insist that I serve as your only bath attendant.”

Her cheeks blushed instantly. “You mean…I thought…” She looked away. He’d wanted her to play a game he’d said. It had never occurred to her that he meant this type of game. She heard William moving behind her but didn’t turn to look. “I thought you meant checkers or maybe ping pong. You guys have ping pong here, right? I’m just not…” She turned to him and gasped.

He’d taken off his clothes. All of them. He walked towards her with a shocking lack of self-consciousness. Of course she realized he had no reason to have any; his body was literally formed by gods and goddesses. They’d done a spectacular job.

Buffy tried to look away, but couldn’t. Her knees shook. Her thighs ached. Her nipples hardened. “William?”

He dropped down on one knee and reached for her hand. Clutching her fingers gently, he brought his forehead down to rest on her hand. “Allow me to serve you, my lady.” He looked up at her then, his blue eyes shaded by thick dark eyelashes. “May I undress you now?”

She nodded. It wasn’t a conscious decision; she was still startled a moment later when he stood up and reached for the zipper on her dress. “I’m not sure this is a good idea, William.” She felt his fingers slide under the fabric on her shoulders and she swayed. “Oh God.”

He held the fabric carefully as he slid it down the length of her body. “Gods and Goddesses,” he reminded in a husky whisper.

She stepped out of the dress and watched in wonder as he walked over to the wall and carefully hung it on a hook near his own clothing. He walked back to her slowly. She trembled. “William.”

He stood behind her. “Yes, my lady.”

She felt his breath on her neck and the light movements of his fingers as he unlatched her bra. He stepped in front of her and began sliding the straps of her bra down her arms. She crossed her arms to stop him. “This is a game to you?” She looked at him with troubled eyes.

He moved closer until their bodies nearly touched and then leaned in to whisper in her ear. “The game only allows me to worship you as I wish to.” He stepped back and looked almost shy when he asked, “will you let me play it?”

When she didn’t respond he reached again for the straps of her bra and gently pulled the bits of silk and lace down her arms. He inhaled quickly at the sight of her breasts, bare and pretty with their pebble hard pink nipples, but he didn’t say anything. Bath attendants were not to speak of such things unless asked. He carried the bra over to the wall and placed it on the hook. He would draw out every moment. It was all part of the fantasy. He kneeled in front of her and reached for the tiny strings at the tops on her thighs. He’d been dreaming of pulling those strings since he’d selected the pair and placed it in her chest. His hands shook ever so slightly as he gave them a tug, undoing the little bows that kept up the small scraps of silk that hide her from his view. He caught the fabric as it fell and brought it to join the rest.

He walked back, stood behind her and slid his fingers into her hair. “Shall I wash your hair or pin it up, my lady?”

“My…oh!” She leaned back into his touch. “What do you want to…”

“I want only to please you, my lady, as any good attendant would.”

She could hear the slight smirk in his tone. He was apparently very determined to play the game correctly. “Put it up— my hair. You can pin it up.”

“As you wish, my lady.”

A few moments later, when he held out his hand and led her down the steps into the almost too hot water, she found herself regretting her choice. If she’d told him to wash her hair he’d have something to do other than wash her body. She wondered if she’d collapse at the first touch of his hands.

He walked her to the center of the pool, where the water rose past her waist, and then returned to collect a large natural sponge from a basket sitting on the ledge. He let the sponge fill with water as he walked back to her and then held it near the nape of her neck as the water poured back out. Again and again he filled the sponge and let the hot water slid down her body. When she stood with her eyes closed and her shoulders relaxed, he went back to the basket and collected the soap. He poured the sweet smelling cream on to a soft cloth and then brought it down gently on her back.

“Oh.” Her eyes opened and she turned to look at him in surprise.

William smiled at the desire he found in her gaze, purposefully lowered his eyes and began gliding the cloth in small circles on her back. He took his time, washing and rewashing every inch of smooth skin from her neck to the small of her back. He used the sponge to rinse the suds off and then brought the soapy cloth around to ghost along her collarbone.

Her knees nearly gave out. She stumbled forward and braced herself by placing her palms against his chest.

Choking back a groan at the unexpected contact, William reached out and grasped her elbow as she steadied herself. He continued to hold her elbow as he slid the cloth down the valley between her breasts.

His knuckles brushed against her stomach and she whimpered. She wanted him so badly it hurt. She pushed against his chest. “That’s enough. I…” Her gaze settled on his mouth. Lust clouded her mind and she barely remembered the rule. She couldn’t kiss him, she couldn’t, but the gods knew she wanted to. “That’s enough.” She saw a flash of hurt in his eyes, but he recovered quickly.

“As you wish, my lady. I’ll fetch you a towel.” He held out an arm for her to steady herself on as she climbed the wide stairs and then quickly brought a soft white towel and wrapped it around her.

Buffy clutched the towel and took a step towards the hooks holding her clothes.

He grasped her hand. “Perhaps you’ll allow me to serve you in another way.” He gestured to other side of the room.

Her eyes widened as she noticed the thick rugs and stacks of pillows set under and a gauzy canopy. Her jaw dropped.

“There’s massage oil warming. If it pleases you…I could rub your back.” His thumb slid in sensual circles against her palm. “Or your feet.” His mouth twitched slightly. “Your hands perhaps.”

Her brow furrowed. “You’re making fun of me.”

“Never, my lady.” He stepped closer and spoke very quietly. “I only wish please you in whatever fashion you choose.”

She couldn’t help but let her gaze slide down his body and onto to the erection he’d had since he’d first removed his clothes.

He spoke more pointedly. “I am only concerned with your pleasure.” He watched her swallow hard and wondered if she would bolt. The distant memory of a small rabbit he’d tried to pat as a boy passed through his mind. Buffy looked a rather lot like that rabbit just now. He clutched her hand more fully and gave her a gentle tug in the direction of the rugs. She stepped towards him and swayed. He caught her elbow again. “May I carry you, my lady?”

“No. You can offer me your arm.” She just needed to take control of the situation. William was claiming that she was in charge, but they both knew he was running the game.

He nodded and led her to the canopy.

She kneeled carefully on a large pillow and turned to look at him. “My back. Only my back.”

He nodded. “Of course, my lady.” He knelt beside her and reached for the towel. As he opened it, he asked, “Would you like to lie down? I could arrange the pillows for you.”

“I’ll sit.” She absolutely wanted to lie down, if she did she’d feel far less naked, but she stubbornly held on to the idea that she could gain control of her desire by leading the game. She held her back straight and rested her butt on her heels

“Very well.” He poured warm jasmine scented oil on to his hand and rubbed his palms together. He’d seen massages given, had even had one given to him a few times, but he’d never done this. He carefully laid his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. When Buffy moaned and fell back against his chest, he let his hands slide down to cup her breasts.

Sparks of pleasure shot through her body. “You were…oh, gods…you were supposed to keep your hands on my back.”

“I suppose this is rather impudent of me.” He teased her nipple with his palm. “Are you terribly displeased?” He rubbed his nose up her neck and kissed the soft skin below her ear.

“William, oh that’s…oh…”

He pinched her nipple. “I suppose I shall have to accept any punishment you find suitable.”

Buffy groaned as she let her head fall back. “Public flogging.”

He chuckled deeply and slid his hand down to cover her stomach. “You may flog me if you wish, but you’ll do so in private.” He shook his head. “Blood thirsty little girl.” He pressed his lips to her temple.

His words barely made their way through the fog of pleasure clouding her head. “William!”

His hand inched lower. “Yes, love…I mean, my lady.”

Her hands fisted around the fabric of the towel that still lay draped across her thighs. “Touch me.” She didn’t even recognize her own voice.

He bit gently on her earlobe before responding. “As you wish.” His hand dropped down, brushed through the short triangle of curls and cupped her mound. Her legs were pressed too closely together for him to go any further. “Relax, love. Let me please you.”

She moved slightly and cried out when his fingers began exploring her in earnest. “Oh that’s…just like...Oh!” She came quietly and brought her head down towards her knees. She reached her hands up, threaded her fingers against the back of her head and brought her elbows close together, effectively hiding her face. She swallowed hard and tried to slow her breathing. “I know what the game was about, William.”

“Buffy?”

“This was the part where you show me just what I’ll be missing when I leave.”

“That is not—”

She sat up and looked at him over her shoulder. “I’m not angry. I suppose I thought it would be easier if we didn’t start this, but I don’t regret it.” She shrugged slightly.

“I didn’t intend to make you sad, Buffy. I just—”

“Did you think I didn’t know it would be like this with us?”

His head tilted to the side and he frowned. “Did you?”

“Of course I did.” She sighed as she turned towards him and reached up to cup his cheek. She could still see the faint bruise Aphrodite had left on him the day before. “I do know what you are to me. I’d be lying if I said you don’t touch me in ways no one else can.”

His heart leapt into his throat. “Stay with me then. We could have eternity, Buffy. You say you feel this.” He gestured back and forth between them. “It’s only the beginning of what we could have, what we could be together. Stay.”

“If I do that my mother will spend the rest of her life wondering what happened to me. My father won’t ever stop looking for me. How could I possibly let them spend their lives imagining the worst? I can’t start a life with you when it means making everyone else who loves me suffer. It’s…” She shook her head.

“Selfish.”

She nodded. She didn’t say the rest, that already she felt like her previous life was a distant memory because her time in Hades had been so much more intense or that he was well worth everything she would have to give up to stay. How do you tell someone that you love them more than anything but can’t stay?

“You’re right. Buffy, I…I won’t—I won’t ask you again.” He stood up, walked across the room and collected their clothes. He dressed quietly and then turned to help her with the zipper on the back of her dress. “Let me, love.”

He walked her back to her room but didn’t go in.

“Will I see you later?” Buffy asked, placing her hand softly on his chest.

“If you open the door when I knock.” He smiled sadly. “I can’t stay away. I find myself standing outside your door whether I meant to walk here or not.”

“I’ll open the door.”

William managed to stay away for three hours. When she opened the door, he held out a Scrabble board and she laughed.

Forty-five minutes later they were arguing playfully. “That is so not a real word.”

William frowned. “Of course it is.”

“No way.”

“We can go collect a dictionary from the library if you’d like.”

Buffy shook her head. “I’m avoiding the library right now.”

“Leah?”

“Who? Oh, no.” She laughed and shook her head. “Willow. She keeps looking at me like I torture puppies.”

William frowned. “I will speak with her. She won’t bother you again.”

“No. No. She is just trying to protect you. It’s sweet.”

“Nevertheless, she will do as I ask.”

“William, what is Willow exactly?”

“She’s mortal. Why?”

“No, I mean…she works for you, doesn’t she?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Do you pay her?”

“Ah.” William sat back and sighed. “I see. No, Willow is not paid. Of course payment is unneeded here since she can simply create anything she requires, but that is not what you are asking. You wish to know if she is free.”

“Is she?”

“No.”

“I see.” She didn’t. She couldn’t see William, her sweet and gentle William, keeping a slave. It was inconceivable. She stood up and walked over to the window. “That’s just the norm here, right?”

“I’d ask you to get your answers from Willow herself, but I doubt you would and I’m honestly not certain whether her pain in telling the story is a better choice than my telling you a story that isn’t mine to tell. Either way it is hardly a great secret. With a little help you could find the tale in the library.”

“William.”

“All of this happened hundreds of years before I was born, you understand? I heard the tale years ago, but Willow doesn’t speak of it.” He reached up and ran his hand through his hair, mussing it without thought.

“What happened?”

He looked up at her and shrugged. “Willow nearly destroyed the world.”

Her jawed dropped. “Willow?” She shook her head. “No way. I don’t believe it.”

He smiled. “Don’t underestimate Willow; even now her power rivals that of a true immortal. Once she could easily challenge a god and she did.”

“That’s…what is that?”

“Hubris. Insanity. Take your pick.”

“What happened? Why would she even try?”

“Her love was taken from her, cursed, and she didn’t want a world without him to continue. The gods stopped her, barely, and she was sent here to serve immortals that don’t have a fraction even of the power she once had. It was meant to be humbling.”

“Your gods are big on folks being humble, aren’t they?”

William’s eyes widened. “Do try to remember that they are your gods as well. One you could even call grandfather.”

“Right. But she’s been trapped here for hundreds of years. How is that okay?”

“Ask her, Buffy. I have offered to appeal on her behalf and she has refused, repeatedly. So, yes, she serves me but trust me when I tell you she does nothing she does not choose to do. When I said that I would speak to her I meant only that if I told her it hurt me when she treated you coldly she would stop. Willow is my dearest friend. She is the only mother I can truly remember.”

“Oh.” Buffy nodded. It was all too much to process at the moment. She wondered if she could ask Willow about it.

“You still seem so determined to think ill of me, Buffy. I cannot help but wonder if you perhaps seek to make our separation easier by painting me the villain once more.”

She frowned, considered his words and rejected them. “No, I don’t think so. There is just a lot that I don’t know still about this place and about you.”

“What would you like to know?”

She sat on the bed and shrugged. It was hard to know where even to begin. Her glance passed over the game board they’d been playing on a few moments earlier, she grinned. “Tell me the truth. Is that a real word?”

Sitting down beside her, William laughed and shook his head. “No.”

Her mouth opened in surprise and she smacked his arm. “Jerk. I knew it.”

“Bluffing is an acceptable strategy, love. You could have checked a dictionary and made me forfeit a turn.”

“See, this is exactly what I was talking about. There’s still all this stuff that I don’t know.”

“About the rules of Scrabble? I’ll get you a guide book.”

She elbowed his side and laughed. “No, goofball. I meant about you. We really only met a couple of weeks ago, I know that, but I still have this feeling like I’ve always known you.”

“It’s possible, likely even, that our souls have been bonded in the past.”

“Okay, but the thing is: I feel like I know you, but you keep surprising me. I wouldn’t have thought you could keep a straight face while lying. But—”

He frowned. “Bluffing is a standard part of game play. I wasn’t cheating.”

“I know. I get it. I just didn’t see it coming. So, now I wonder what else I think I know about you. What would I find out if I had time? Two years from now, when I think about you, will I be remembering things that aren’t even true? Like your favorite color. I think it’s blue because you wear blue shirts a lot. Am I right? Or am I going to be thinking about the guy who liked blue when you really like green or red or fuchsia?”

William nodded and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He waited for a moment, letting the simple touch calm them both. “No one’s told you much about what will happen when you leave, have they?”

She shook her head. “I guess not.”

“Buffy, love, you won’t remember this. You’ll be returned to the point when you were taken. For you, it’ll be as though you never left and we never met. You might sense that you’re missing something as time goes on, but you won’t think of me.”

Nausea hit her like a truck. She wouldn’t even have the memory to hold on to. “But that’s so…” She looked up at him with watery eyes. “Will you remember?”

“Forever.”

Her gaze dropped to the floor. “I don’t know which is worse.” He would always know what could have been. He’d know exactly what she’d had to give up. But at least he’d remember what true, perfect love felt like. Well, he would if she could tell him that she loved him.

His hand rubbed circles on her back. “Please, pet. We have twelve days left. We could enjoy them or we could mourn them. I’d prefer to see you smile.”

Buffy nodded solemnly. “You’re right.” She gave him a weak smile. “Do you sleep?”

Frowning at the sudden subject change, William shrugged. “Yes. Some. My body doesn’t require rest, but my mind does.”

“Good. Good. Will you…will you stay here tonight?”

He nodded. “I’d like that very much.”

“I’m not ready to finish what we started earlier…at the baths.” She blushed at the memory.

“I know. But you’ll let me hold you?”

She smiled shyly. “I don’t think I can sleep if you don’t.”

Buffy awoke to find William still fast asleep beside her. His arm was wrapped possessively around her waist and his face was buried in the crook of her neck. She rolled on to her side carefully so she wouldn’t wake him and then she nearly kissed him. It was such a natural gesture that her lips were only millimeters from his when she realized what she was about to do and pulled back. She stared at him, shocked by what she had almost done. He’d just looked so sweet with his hair messy and his shirt half-undone. The thought that she could lose even the memory of him tore at her heart. She leaned down, pressed a kiss to his forehead and got out of bed.

Twenty minutes later, wearing a fresh dress and a headband, she stood in the library and called out to Willow. Her cheeks flushed when she found her. “I need to talk to Aphrodite.”

Willow’s eyes widened almost comically. “No.” She shook her head. “That’s a big no. Does William know you are saying things like that?”

“I know you could help me do it, Willow. If you wanted to, you could do it.”

“I don’t know what you’ve been hearing, but I’m just a nanny with an overgrown charge.”

“Right. But you could tell me how to talk to her.”

Willow turned and started to walk away. “You don’t even know what you’re asking, Buffy.”

Buffy reached out and grasped her shoulder. “Please. Please. It’s the only chance I’ve got. You’re the only one who could help me.”

The redhead turned slowly and studied her. “Help you get what…exactly?”

“Him. William.”

She shook her head. “You already have him. He’s loved you since the moment he saw you sleeping off the spell Angelus cast when he brought you here.”

“I know.” She nodded. “But I can’t have him yet. Love shouldn’t bring this much pain to others. It should be celebrated, but none of my people will get to do that. Please, Willow. Tell me how to talk to Aphrodite.” Buffy could see her wavering. She pressed forward. “I know you want him to be happy. You have to know that I want that to. I love him. I love him more than I thought anyone could ever love anything. Help me.”

Willow sighed and nodded. “It’s dangerous. She can do anything she wants, Buffy. You have to understand that fairness is not scale that she is concerned with.”

Buffy nodded and hugged her impulsively. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

“Buffy!” Willow’s face was serious.

“I understand, Willow. Really I do.”

She shook her head. “You couldn’t possibly. Come on. We have work to do.”

Willow spoke for an hour, hurriedly explaining history and etiquette and offering the few tidbits of advice she had. “I know that times have changed. Gods are a distant concept for you. You need to get past that. Now. You need to understand that the only way in which a god or goddess is perfect is that they are. It’s that simple. Whatever She says is right. If She refuses to speak with you it’s because you aren’t worthy. If She does speak with you then you are still not worthy but She is kind. Most importantly, She has already given you an inconceivable gift. Love Her for it. I’m not telling you to pretend to love Her, you understand? I’m telling you to love Her.”

When she couldn’t think of anything else to say, she collected candles and took Buffy to Aphrodite’s lower temple. She begged her one last time to reconsider and then hugged her. “Please be careful. Know that everything you say and do will reflect on William as you are his.”

Buffy nodded, lit the candles and prayed to a goddess she’d thought myth only days earlier. Within moments she found herself in cool and expansive space. She dropped to her knees as Willow had instructed and placed her forehead on the floor. She tried to shake the feelings of injustice and even foolishness that swept through her. William was well worth a little embarrassment. Her clothes had changed and though the feel of it was startling, she wasn’t surprised. Willow had explained that she could easily be expected to make her case without any clothing at all. She glanced at the toga she was wearing and considered herself lucky.

She heard footsteps, knew someone else was in the room and struggled to hold her tongue. Willow had made it clear that she couldn’t talk unless she was invited to.

Aphrodite made her wait a while. Finally she sat on a large chaise in the center of the room. “I suppose you sought an audience in order to thank me for the gift I’ve given you.”

Buffy nodded. “Yes. It is a wonderful gift.” She blushed and stammered out, “goddess,” a few seconds later.

“Love is the highest honor, don’t you agree?”

“Yes, I do. Love is…love is why I must ask you for a favor, goddess.”

Aphrodite’s voice was cold. “You seek a favor?”

“Yes, goddess.”

“Do you not think I have already given you a greater gift than you deserve?”

“I do, goddess. I think exactly that. I only seek to become worthy of the gift you offer.”

“Stand up.”

Buffy rose slowly and smiled at the beautiful woman sitting in front of her. She gasped slightly as Aphrodite stood up and began to pace, her long one shouldered gown flowing around her like water, her hair falling in honey colored waves that nearly met the floor.

She looked at her with a single brow arched. “You are very bold, girl. Surely you were told not to study me with your eyes in such a fashion.”

Buffy blushed and lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry, goddess. I am still not used to all of this.”

“Do you enjoy looking at me?”

“You’re beautiful.”

“Simply beautiful?” Aphrodite stopped in front of her and lifted her chin.

Buffy frowned. “Is there a better word?”

The goddess laughed. “I cannot decide yet if I like you. Tell me about this favor you seek.”

“I want to go to William with a free heart. I need to know that the people who love me at home won’t suffer because I’m gone. Could you do that? Could you make them know that I am safe and happy so that they can be happy too?”

Aphrodite scowled. “I am a goddess, child. If I wish that to be true it will be.”

“Please, goddess.”

“I have already given you a gift. I won’t simply hand you another. Tell me what you offer in exchange for what you ask.”

Buffy shrugged. “I have no idea what I can offer that would be worthy of a goddess or of the great thing I ask.”

“Well that’s true enough.” Aphrodite studied her carefully. “You’re rather pretty, aren’t you?”

“If you say so.”

The goddess groaned. “I despise false modesty and true modesty is even worse. You’re pretty and you must know it.”

“Yes.”

“Would you give it up?”

Buffy shivered at her cool tone. “I don’t understand.”

“I wouldn’t make you repulsive, just…plain. Will you accept those terms for the favor you seek?”

“Yes.” She didn’t hesitate although her stomach churned at the thought. She couldn’t help but wonder if William would be disappointed. He’d told her that he could have loved someone who wasn’t pretty, but would he end up wishing for the girl she’d been when they’d met. She squared her shoulders and pushed away the terrifying thought. William was too good for her lack of faith.

Aphrodite’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re certain? You didn’t even need to consider the suggestion?”

Buffy nodded. “It’s a small thing to give for what I’d get in return.”

“You understand that he will still be beautiful and surrounded always by others who are?”

“I do.”

The goddess laughed. “I assume you’ve seen him undressed.”

Blushing, Buffy nodded. “I have.”

Aphrodite grinned. “That was my contribution.”

Buffy’s mouth open and closed twice. “Nice contribution.”

“You accept my terms.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now I know that you deserve him. I’ll not take your looks because he deserves to have something pretty to care for. Instead, I have a task for you.”

William woke up alone and was concerned immediately. He checked the library, the garden, the party, even the baths but couldn’t find Buffy. When he asked Willow if she had any idea where Buffy had gone, she lied to him for the first time in their very long relationship and hoped that she had done the right thing.



Buffy frowned. “A task?” She looked at Aphrodite with more than a touch of apprehension.

“Yes. I think you’ll rather enjoy it as well. Of course that doesn’t really matter to me. If you perform the task I grant your favor. It’s all very simple.”

“What’s the task?”

“Come.” Aphrodite led her across the room and waved her hand near a solid marble wall. A window appeared. She gestured for Buffy to look through it. “I believe you’ve met Angelus.”

Buffy looked through the window and saw a tall, dark-haired man wearing a black shirt and slacks pacing back and forth impatiently. He looked like he was yelling, but she couldn’t hear anything. “In a way.” She frowned.

“He causes me a great deal of trouble.”

“How?”

“He is handsome, yes?”

Buffy shrugged. “I don’t know, he’s not really—” She saw Aphrodite roll her eyes and nodded. “Sure. He’s handsome.”

“He is also quite charming when he wishes to be. Unfortunately, he has a distinct lack of respect for women.”

Buffy snorted. “You can say that again.”

Aphrodite turned towards her slowly. “I am The Goddess of Love, girl. I don’t repeat myself.”

She blushed. “Of course not. I didn’t mean. I’m…sorry.”

The goddess watched Angelus pace and rant in the other room. “He seduced one of Athena’s favorite temple virgins last week. The girl had been in her service for a century, now she’s been banished. Angelus, of course, has not even called on her.” She turned to Buffy. “Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find good temple virgins these days?”

Buffy shook her head. “What will happen to her?”

“Who?”

“The girl…the virgin.”

“Drusilla.” Aphrodite shrugged. “If she ever ceases her weeping she might make a good siren. If I hadn’t already given William you, I might have given her to him.”

Jealousy lit a fire in Buffy’s eyes. “Oh?”

Aphrodite’s laughter was deep and sensual. “She’s quite lovely and broken. William could have played at being her hero for a century or two. He’d have taken pleasure in the role.”

“But he has me now, so that won’t be necessary.”

“Yes. He’ll have you, if you complete your task. Otherwise, I will have to return you to your realm.”

Buffy’s face paled. “But we still have twelve days.”

“You have what I give you.”

She nodded. Willow had tried to warn her that Aphrodite could change the rules on a whim. “What’s my task?”

“You are going to help me teach Angelus a lesson and bring peace to The Underworld.”

“How?”

“Seduce him.”

Buffy’s blood froze in her veins she shook her head. “But William—I can’t—I could never—l”

The Goddess of Love laughed again. “He is rather dismally puritanical, isn’t he? I suppose I shouldn’t have allowed the witch to oversee his education.” She shrugged. “It hardly matters now. You’re not to lay with Angelus. In fact, I strictly forbid it. You will taunt him not pleasure him.”

Her heart rate slowed only slightly. “But still, he’s William’s cousin. It would be—j”

“It matters not. You are not the one he will see.”

Buffy frowned. “I don’t understand.”

The goddess gave a long suffering sigh. “You are not the one who can tame Angelus.” She touched the wall and the image a lovely dark-haired woman with a sexy smirk appeared. “She is. So she is the one he will see.”

Buffy looked at the woman on the wall in confusion. “Cordelia?”

Aphrodite’s eyebrows raised in interest. “You know this girl?”

“Yeah, she’s…a friend, sort of a friend. What does she have to do with Angelus?”

“Tell me. Is she…spirited?”

“I…umm…yeah, she’s kind of …” Buffy was tempted to admit that her friend could be a bitch, but wasn’t sure if that was what Aphrodite wanted to hear. “Spirited is a good word.”

The Goddess of Love grinned. “Oh, good. This is going to be fun.”

Buffy looked at Cordelia’s image and then back at Aphrodite. “I’m still a bit confused.”

“William isn’t the only one with a soul mate. Of course, Angelus doesn’t think he wants to meet his yet.”

Buffy’s eyes widened. “Cordelia is his—”

“Soul mate. The very best part is, once he lays eyes on her he won’t be able to help himself. He’ll snatch her away and end up quite thoroughly enamored before he even sees it coming. Angelus is very rash and…entirely predictable.” She glanced back at the room she was holding him prisoner in and sighed. “Handsome though.”

“He’ll kidnap her then, just like he did to me and her family will be just as scared as mine. Surely there’s another way?”

“Your impertinence is only charming in small doses, my girl. I am beginning to find it very tiresome. I will provide her loved ones the same comfort I give yours.” She tilted her head to side and studied the girl in front of her. She lifted her hand, pointed and smiled. “Yes. That is much better. Look.” She gestured to a full length mirror.

Buffy walked towards it and gasped. The face looking back at her was most certainly Cordelia’s. She leaned in and saw Cordelia do the same. Aphrodite had changed her clothing as well and she found herself wearing a few bits of metal and silk that looked a rather lot like the outfit Princess Leia was forced to wear when captured. She felt distinctly naked despite the glamour that made her look like another woman. She couldn’t help lifting her hands up to cup her breasts. They felt like hers still though they look much larger in the mirror. She shook her head and laughed. “This place is so weird.”

“Now, your task is almost insultingly simple. Give him a taste of this girl. He won’t be able to resist and once he has a thirst that only she can quench, your service will be done.”

Buffy looked back at the window to Angelus nervously. She really had no choice. Aphrodite could have demanded far more. “Is there any chance he could be chained to the wall for this?”

“Kinky.” Aphrodite grinned, snapped her fingers and watched with a gleeful expression as Angelus began struggling against the large metal cuffs suddenly holding his hands to the wall above his head. After a moment, she removed his shirt as well and nodded in satisfaction. “Now it’s your turn, little girl. Make him ache, but remember...no orgasms.”

Before she could respond, Buffy found herself standing across the room from Angelus. Nerves made her knees knock for a moment. She inhaled deeply.

Angelus smirked at her wickedly. “Well, what have we here? If you’d wanted to play, princess, you should have just asked.”

Buffy squared her shoulders and tried to channel the girl her friends called The Queen C. She walked towards him slowly. “Sorry, angel-face. You don’t get to play today.” Her voice was an almost perfect copy of Cordelia’s. As glad as she was for the disguise, it was unsettling.

He laughed. “You’re new. You one of Aphrodite’s girls?”

Buffy shook her head but didn’t speak.

“Succubus? That’s okay, gorgeous, we can work it out. Take off the cuffs. I don’t mind being dinner as long as you’re the dessert.”

Buffy rolled her eyes and started to walk away as though she’d lost interest.

Angelus tried to pull free again. He kept his gaze on the stunning woman who now appeared more interested with the texture on the walls than she did with him. He knew she was just playing but it was driving him crazy. “We both know you want me. If you didn’t we wouldn’t be playing this game. So why don’t you just come on over here and give me a kiss? I’ll show you just how good it can be.”

Buffy had to stifle a laugh. Angelus was hysterical. She’d never met a more arrogant creature. Aphrodite had been right; this was almost fun. She gave a heavy theatrical sigh.

Angelus growled. “That’s it. Enough with the games, minx. You don’t know who you’re playing with.”

Buffy turned to him then and walked towards him quickly. “I’m playing with a little boy when what I want is a man.” She stopped a couple of feet in front of him and lifted her arms up in what she hoped was an enticing manner. “Do you really think I need to waste my time with little boys?” She let him take a good hard look while she arched an eyebrow in irritation.

“Oh, I’m a man, baby. Come just a little bit closer and I’ll be happy to demonstrate.” He gave the chains a hard yank.

Buffy leaned in, knowingly giving him a good peek at Cordelia’s cleavage and licked her lips. She let her gaze settle on the front of his pants in an obvious fashion. She glanced back up at him and inched closer. When they were nearly touching, she whispered. “Grow up and we’ll talk.” She turned abruptly and walked away with a pronounced swing in her hips. She could still hear him calling out to her when she appeared in Aphrodite’s chamber.

The goddess laughed delightedly as she approached. “Nice job, little girl.” She walked around her and placed her hands on her shoulders. “It will be as you asked. Now, go be William’s before I change my mind and put you to work as a siren. Oh.” She leaned down and spoke in a loud whisper. “Do me a favor and pop that boy’s cherry before I have to handle it myself.”

Buffy’s eyes widened as she disappeared.

Ripper groaned as he stepped out from behind a heavy curtain. “Was that disturbing image truly necessary, my dear?”

Aphrodite leaned into him as he stepped behind her. She tilted her head to side and bared her neck for his kiss. “Just giving the girl a little push. They are like watching snow fall a single flake at a time.”

He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her waist. “You like her, Buffy, don’t you?”

“I wouldn’t have selected her for our son if I didn’t.”

Ripper froze at the unusual mention of William’s true heritage. “You aren’t thinking to tell him?”

She sighed and shook her head. “No. I won’t let him go the way of Eros. Even masked as your brother’s son, his gifts drew too much attention. William has no interest in claiming any throne, as long as no one knows that he could, he will be quite happy playing the outcast of The Underworld with Buffy.” She turned in her lover’s arms and reached up to caress the side of his face. “You don’t disagree.”

“I don’t, but I know it hurts you to hide the truth.”

“I will do what is best.” She stepped away from him and glared. “Now certainly you know how I hate for you to remain so overdressed in my chamber.”

Ripper gave her a wicked grin as he began unbuttoning his shirt. “Have you said that, my evening star? I can’t seem to recall.”

She scraped her fingernails down his chest and tore off his belt. “I suppose I shall make today’s telling especially memorable.”

A virgin? Buffy’s mind reeled. How the hell could William be a virgin? He was like…ancient. And hot. Holy goddess, he was so hot just thinking about him made her knees shake. She realized suddenly that she was in a room she’d never seen before. She turned around cautiously to find William starring at her with a stunned expression.

“Buffy? Love, what in the name of the gods is going on?”

She smiled. Pure joy from simply seeing him warmed her. “William.”

“Where have you been?”

“That is a long story.” She looked around. “Is this your place?” It looked a lot like hers, it was bigger, multiple rooms, but the same couch lined the wall and the blankets on the bed looked very familiar. She laughed as she realized the truth. “You picked everything, didn’t you? Everything in my room, the blankets, the books, the clothes, you picked it all. You actually chose to dress me like a J. Crew ad.” She shook her head. Only William.

He blushed slightly. “Gonna tell me why you’re wearing that?”

Buffy glanced down and realized that, though she now looked like herself, she was still wearing the sexy slave girl outfit Aphrodite had dressed her in. She shrugged. “You don’t like it?”

William walked towards her. “It has a certain…appeal.” His brow furrowed. “Have you been walking around like that?”

An idea hit Buffy hard. She grinned. “William. Will you take me to the baths again?” She walked up to him and placed her hand on his chest. “It’s my turn.”

“Your…umm…your turn?” He swallowed hard.

Buffy nodded. “Take me.”

He nodded and took her hand.” Of course, love. Anything, you…” He nodded again and then pulled her out the door.

Buffy giggled the entire way to the baths. She couldn’t help it. William was clenching his jaw and pointedly looking everywhere but at her. He was also walking fast. Very fast.

He led her into a private bathing room and locked the door behind them. “When you said it was your turn, you meant…?”

“Let me be your bath attendant, William. I don’t like to share either.”

Her words and the flirtatious look that accompanied them made him shake. He nodded and followed her into the room.

Buffy took a quick glance to see that everything was set up much the same as it had been when William had brought her there before and then turned back to him. She tried to look submissive. “May I undress you?”

He nodded.

Buffy reached over and quickly unbuttoned his shirt. She tugged it free from his pants, brought it over to the hooks and returned to collect his pants. She walked back and dropped down on her knees in front of him. Licking her lips, she ran her hands up his thighs and curled her hand around his cock. She leaned forward and placed a light kiss on the tip.

William groaned and grabbed at her shoulders. “Buffy!”

She gave him a long slow lick and then gazed up to gage his expression. He looked shocked. More than anything, he looked shocked. But his hands gripped at her shoulders tightly and his eyes glazed over with lust. Buffy closed her lips around the tip of his cock and slid them half way down his length. She pulled up and then repeated. And again. Her tongue circled and teased. When she felt his hands start to tremble, she pulled him in deeper and moaned.

Shuddering hard, he came with a sob-like groan. He stared down at her in wonder. “Undress.”

Buffy’s forehead scrunched in confusion.

“I would very much like my bath attendant to remove her clothing and let me look at her.”

She nearly laughed at the completely non-demanding tone William used. Lips twitching she stood up and slowly removed her clothing. She turned, letting his hot gaze scald her wherever it fell. “Do I please you?”

“Yes.” His response was just a whisper. His tone almost reverent.

“May I wash you now?” She looked down his body pointedly. “It seems that I’ve made a mess.”

William scooped her into his arms and carried her into the pool.

She couldn’t help giggling. “You’re not supposed to do that.” She swatted lightly at his shoulder.

“Shh. Bath attendants only speak when they’re asked a direct question or require direction.” He placed her on her feet in the center of the pool and then leaned close to whisper in her ear. “Say yes sir.”

She gasped slightly at his sexy smirk and nodded. “Yes, sir.” She tried to look chastised.

William stepped back, looked at her, and exhaled loudly. “You are so lovely, like my own private nymph.” His gaze grew serious and he reached over to cup her cheek. “Will you say it, Buffy?”

She frowned. “Say what?”

“That you’re mine, my love, even if I don’t get to keep you.”

Game forgotten, she slid her arms up to circle his neck. “Of course I’m yours and you’re mine. I do love you. You must know that already.”

“I’d hoped, but…” He smiled and ducked his head in the shy manner that made her heart skip a beat.

“Take me to the rugs, William. Let me show you.”



William lifted her into his arms and carried her over to the canopy. He placed her down gently and lied down beside her. Gently brushing a lock of hair from her face, he whispered, “I didn’t know that love would feel like this.”

She rolled on to her side and smiled at him. “Like what?”

“Like joy and desperation are taking turns at my soul. Having you like this, even for an instant, makes me happier than I can ever remember being. Just knowing that you exist makes me gladder for the world. But all that swirls around in this mess of insecurities and the desperate pleadings of my heart. Love somehow inspires both the best and the worst in me. I want to be worthy of you, more than anything, but I can’t deny the selfishness of my desires. I want you. I’d crawl on my knees and beg you not to leave me if I thought it would help.”

She reached over and cupped his cheek. “Lie on your back, sweetheart.” When he did, she straddled his thighs and placed her palms on his chest. “I’m not as good with words, but it doesn’t mean that don’t I feel them. Do you understand?”

He nodded. “I can see things in your eyes. It’s just hard sometimes to believe them.”

She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the center of his chest. “You’re so beautiful.” She made a trail of kisses along his collarbone and up his neck. She’d meant to draw their first time out, but found that she couldn’t leave him in the dark for even a moment longer. She whispered in his ear. “Are you absolutely sure that you want me? Forever is…a very long time.” She curled her hand around his cock and positioned herself over him.

“Eternity wouldn’t be long enough if it were spent with you.”

Shockingly sweet words that laid his heart open for her perusal. That was her guy all right. William didn’t hold anything back. She slid down, taking him inside in one long movement. She smiled as he hissed at the shocking pleasure, rode out the jerking of his hips and waited for him to regain his control before leaning down and cupping his face in her hands. “Good. Because I’m never going to let you go.”

His eyes widened. “Buffy?”

“”I chose you, William. You are the one thing that I can’t live without.” She pressed her mouth to his.

His arms wrapped around her instantly and kissed her with every bit of the need he’d been holding back.

When she started to ride him with long, slow movements, he groaned and blinked at her dazedly. “How? When?”

She smiled at him as she made a little figure eight with her hips. “Long story. Most important part is that I love you.” She rubbed her palms against his chest and teased at his nipples. “I had a plan, you know? I was going to tease you for a bit with the soap and the sponge and then bring you over here and make you all slippery with the oils. You’d have liked it.”

He swallowed hard. “Yes. Gods, Buffy. This is also…oh that’s…” His fingers dug into her hips.

She tightened her muscles around him and picked up speed. Her hand cupped his face and she met his deep blue gaze head on. It was the kind of intimacy she usually shied away from, but she’d give it to him. “I love the feel of you, William. My, William.” She knew that she’d said the right thing when he gasped softly and began pressing up to meet her. “That’s it.” She moaned at the slivers of pleasure that shot through her body each time he filled her completely. “I want to feel you come for me, inside me. Show me, sweetheart.”

“Oh…fuck…Buffy!” He came with a loud groan and then pulled her down onto his chest as his head fell back.

Buffy rested her chin on his chest and gazed up at him. “Why didn’t you tell me that you’d never had sex before?”

His eyes shot open. “It was that obvious?”

“Of course not.” She crawled up and dropped a soft kiss on his mouth. “Aphrodite told me. Actually she said that if I didn’t do something about the situation soon she would handle it herself.”

“Gods, that is…that would have been…” He shook his head.

She smacked his shoulder lightly. “Would have been what, mister?”

He laughed. “Terrifying. Completely and horridly terrifying.”

“So why didn’t you tell me? I basically accused you of using your superior seduction skills to try and keep me here and you never said anything.”

William sighed. “A year ago I weighed forty-two pounds and was barely over three feet tall. Trust me when I tell you that I didn’t want anyone who was interested in me. When I first…grew, there were offers…but they were mostly into the novelty, the whole dead guy in a new body aspect. I suppose I figured that I’d already waited so long I—what were you doing with Aphrodite?” He gripped her shoulders and frowned. “How did you even end up talking to Aphrodite?”

“I had to ask her for a favor.”

“You didn’t. Oh gods, Buffy! What were you thinking? Do you have any idea—”

She placed two fingers over his mouth. “Hey. Relax. She helped me. I don’t know how exactly, but she’ll make it so that my friends and family know that I’m safe and happy. She made it so I could stay with you.”

“Oh, pet. She could have—”

“I know. You’re worth the risk.”

He flipped them both over quickly and kissed her hard. “You had to give up everything.” He stared down at her in wonder. He’d all but stopped hoping.

“I got you,” she said simply and smiled.

“Buffy.” Her name sounded like a prayer. His mouth slammed into hers again.

She groaned and slid her fingers into his hair.

His hands were everywhere, mapping each curve and dip on her body. They slid under her back and lifted so that her breasts were arched up for his mouth. He kissed and nipped at her with his teeth and then soothed each spot with his tongue.

Her fingers clenched, pulling his hair.

William looked at the small mark he’d left just below her breast and froze. “Am I too rough?”

She shook her head and tugged his head back to her breast. “No. No, you’re perfect. Just—”

He entered her with one hard thrust. “You’re mine, my love…I won’t ever let you regret it. I promise. Gods, Buffy.” He buried his face against her neck. “I’ll do anything…”

Buffy struggled to speak as the onslaught of sensations from his suddenly fierce love-making nearly overwhelmed her. She rubbed her hand up and down his back. “Just love me.”

Later, when he’d finally emptied himself inside her again and had collapsed with his head resting just below her breasts, she finally found the words she needed. “I had a good life, you know? I—I”

He pushed himself up and looked at her with fear in his eyes. “Oh Buffy, please…I—”

She reached over and cupped his cheek. “Shh. Just listen. I was happy. My parents are good people and I had plenty of friends. Things came easy for me.” She laughed. “My friends used to tease me about it a little, call me the charmed one, but I never saw it. I never really took any time to be grateful for any of it. That’s done. I won’t take you for granted, William. I know what I am, now.”

He studied her with watery eyes. “Yeah? What’s that, love?”

She leaned in until their foreheads touched and cupped his face in her hands. “I am the luckiest girl in the whole world.”

Buffy glanced at the bright sky through their window and giggled. “Sweetie, you’re doing it again.”

William frowned, closed his eyes and concentrated on shielding his emotions. After a moment, the sky outside grew dark again. He grinned and pulled her back down beside him. “You know very well I can’t control myself when you do that bit with your tongue.”

She laughed. “Yup. That’s kind of the point.”

It had taken a few days for anyone to make the connection. The day that Buffy had first kissed William, nearly a month in the past now, the sky of Hades had turned a bright, sunny blue despite the complete lack of a sun. They’d been momentarily delighted by the phenomenon, but entirely too wrapped up in finding each other to worry about it overly much. Others were more concerned. Willow was the one to notice that it only happened after William and Buffy slipped away for time alone together and Tara was the first to realize the cause. It was the color that gave it away. The sky of Hades was suddenly turning the exact shade of William’s new aura. He was transmitting his happiness.

William had always been able to slightly modify his surroundings with ease and Willow had always thought he had a high level of empathic ability, although that wasn’t a skill that was much trained in The Underworld. She’d simply noticed that, even as a child, William seemed unusually sensitive to the moods of those around him and a natural source of comfort to souls feeling pain. She had mostly just thought it was a reflection of his kind and gentle nature. Now, it was clear that it was more than that. Joining with his soul mate had amplified William’s previous gifts in an unexpected way. William was now capable of changing Hades in ways that should only be possible for the Lord of The Underworld. He was also able to influence the emotions of lesser beings, a group that now appeared to include many that had considered themselves his superior in the past.

The Dread Queen rather liked the possibility of the occasional sunny day and Hades was ever-indulgent of his Queen’s desires. Many others were more suspicious of William’s power.

He was aware of the unease he was causing and was generally able to prevent the unintentional broadcasting of his joy. He found maintaining the necessary shields more difficult when joining with his soul mate.

He brought his hand up to thread through her hair and pull her face close to his. His tongue swiped across her bottom lip the instant before he claimed her mouth with a kiss. He groaned. “Gods, you taste sweet.”

Buffy pushed him on to his back and swung her leg over his thighs. She pressed her hands against his chest and smiled down on him. She saw the touch of awe that filled his eyes just before she slid down on to his cock and it made her heart skip a beat. She let her eyes close and her head fall back as the sensation of being filled with him overtook her. “This is sweet. You’re sweet, William.”

He reached up and traced a circle around her nipple, down the valley between her breasts and across the soft swell of her stomach. Everywhere his finger touched a faint green-leafed vine, like a tattoo, appeared.

Buffy opened her eyes and grinned at the swirling pattern on her breast. It would fade over the next several minutes but for the moment William could see his touch on her skin. She’d teased him about it the first time. It was such a territorial marking. William had tried to look chastised for a moment before smirking and tracing the word mine on to her hip in pretty cursive script. That one had taken nearly an hour to fade.

She’d been teasing when she’d threatened to leave her own marks the old fashioned way, but the glow of interest in his eyes at the thought was serious. Her gentle soul mate could brighten the skies of Hades and bring a smile to the lips of a mortal with nothing more than a thought, but they were also discovering a streak of kink that could keep a legion of succubi well-fed.

Buffy leaned down and whispered near his ear. “You didn’t ask permission to paint me, William. It’s almost like you want to be punished.” She felt his responding shiver and laughed softly. She was about to start riding him at a gentle pace when he surprised her by sitting up and flipping them both.

“Just admit that you’re mine and I can do with you as I wish.”

She laughed. “I’m pretty sure it’s the other way around.”

He pressed into her hard and deep. “Whatever happened to my sweet bath attendant? She was so compliant and eager to please.”

Giggling, Buffy shrugged. “Just an illusion.”

He made a sound deep in his throat. “Oh. I love when she discovers her own sensual power and turns the tables on her harsh master.”

Buffy smirked before pulling away. “Lie on your back. Now.” She reached over and pulled a pair of handcuffs out of a drawer. She saw the quick brightening of the sky before he reigned himself in out of the corner of her eye. Buffy crawled up his body and guided his arms into position. She closed the cuffs around his wrists, attaching him to the sturdy iron headboard. She couldn’t resist pressing a kiss on to his temple before teasing. “You’re allowed to say yes and mistress.”

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



“Hi.” Buffy gave Cordelia a cautious smile.

Cordelia frowned. “What are you doing here? I thought your mom said you were…um….traveling or something about getting married or a safari…and why am I only now realizing that none of that makes any fucking sense?” She glanced around the room for a second before turning back to Buffy. “Were you at the club last night?”

“Nope. I can explain everything, but I think you are going to want to sit down.”

“I don’t want to sit down. I want to know where the hell that guy I was with went. Cordelia Chase doesn’t get ditched in strange bedrooms.”

Buffy nodded. She figured that she should have realized that Cordy would be more insulted than scared by waking up in a strange room alone. “Cordy, it is a long story—I mean Gone with the Wind long, but I will tell you everything if you come have a seat with me.”

“Is this a cult thing? Oh my god, Buffy. You’ve so totally joined a cult and now you’re trying to get me to join to. Well, no thank you. I’ll be keeping my inheritance and passing on the Kool-Aid.”

“Gods…and Goddesses.”

Cordy stopped and stared at Buffy for a second. “What?”

“Like I said, it’s a long story.” Buffy walked over to a shiny black leather couch and sat down. She patted the spot beside her. “Are you hungry or thirsty? I can call for something.”

Cordelia was finally starting to get scared. “I remember going to the club. I was dancing with a man, a hot one—like seriously salty goodness. I don’t remember…”

“His name is Angelus and this is where he lives.”

The tall brunette dropped onto the couch. “Don’t tell me he’s the cult master guy.”

Buffy couldn’t help chuckling. “No. He’s definitely not that.” He head tilted to the side. “Although he has the ego of a…not the point.”

“Yeah, maybe spit out the point, Buffy. Some of us have lives.”

Buffy took a deep breath to control her temper. “Do you remember when we studied Greek Mythology back in middle school? We learned about Aphrodite and—”

“You’ve joined an Aphrodite cult? Buffy, I really think—” Cordelia started to stand up intent on leaving.

Buffy sighed. “We’re in Hades, Cordy. It’s a totally different plane of existence.”

Cordelia stared at her for a moment before laughing. “Whoa there really is something in the water here, isn’t there?”

Buffy waved her hand to remove the veil on the window. “Take a look, Cordelia.”

“Shit!” She walked over to the window. “Shit! What did you do?”

“Well, I got kidnapped to start.”

“No! I meant to me or to the wall—actually let’s start with me, what did you do to me?”

Buffy sighed. Clearly, this was going to take awhile.

One hour and forty five minutes of detailed explanation and demonstration later, Cordelia Chase stopped pacing and turned to look at Buffy with an arched eyebrow. “So you’re saying that, if I stay here, I won’t age, I won’t have to work and I’ll be like a Goddess?”

“Not exactly. Some of that. But it all has to do with being a soul mate.”

“To the hunky guy from the club?”

“Right, Angelus. He’s…well, he is…”

“A jerk.”

Buffy’s eyes widened. “Oh. I thought you two had hit it off.”

Cordelia’s expression made it clear that had not happened.

“I see.” Buffy nodded. “Did the two of you…”

“Eww…no. I do not put out before the first date.”

Buffy’s mind raced. The whole thing was not turning out the way she’d expected. “Okay, so if you want to go home—”

“What if I want to stay here?”

“But you said Angelus was a jerk.” Buffy left out the part where she agreed whole-heartedly.

“Eternal youth and beauty and a life of luxury—he’s not that bad.”

“Oh. Then I guess you just need to be umm…together with him.”

“You mean sex.” Cordelia was getting flashes of memories back from the night before. Her handsome hook-up’s crazy freak out and disappearance was making a lot more sense. No one turned down a night with Cordelia Chase.

“Yes.”

Cordy nodded. “Okay. Bring him in here.”

Buffy’s eyes widened. “I don’t actually know where he is at the moment, but I could help you find him.”

A knock on the door made both girls turn their heads. Buffy grinned, feeling the closeness of her soul mate through the door. “Come in, William. Meet Cordy.”

“Hello.” Cordy’s eyes widened in surprise and appreciation when William walked in. She turned to Buffy. “Are they all like this?”

Buffy laughed as she stood up to embrace him. “No, this one is special. Cordelia Chase meet William, my William.”

William wrapped one arm around Buffy’s waist and nodded towards Cordy. “It’s a pleasure, love. My mate tells me you’ll have my cousin wearing a leash and collar and following you around like a puppy by the end of the week.” He leaned towards and grinned conspiratorially. “I’m hoping she means that literally.”

Buffy swatted his arm, but Cordelia laughed. “Sounds like a plan to me, handsome.”