Chapter 1: The Beginnning

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***It will eventually be rated NC-17, but oviously, the first few chapters will be a tame PG. Hopefully my beta did a better job on this story than the last chapters of Denial. Oh, and please review.***

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“Dad, hurry up. We’re gonna be late for dinner.” Thirteen year old William Giles yelled up the stairs to the second floor where his father was getting dressed.


“Patience is a virtue.” A British voice replied as Rupert Giles came down the stairs, adjusting his tie. Giles looked into the stormy blue eyes of his son who stood impatiently at the door before turning to face the mirror in the entry way to finish adjusting his tie. “What’s your hurry? Dinner isn’t for a bit.” William rolled his eyes, his hand coming up to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose.


“Well somebody is moving us all the way across the ocean so this is like one of the last times we will be eating Mrs. Summers cooking.” William ran his fingers through his mop of curls, the unruly strands falling back into place almost immediately.


“And this would have nothing to do with little Miss Buffy Summers, would it.” Giles watch in amusement as his son shook his head venomously, his face turning red.


“No!” William half shouted, his face growing redder. “God, dad! You are so lame.” Giles chuckled and turned to face his son.


“It amazes me just how American you sound sometimes.” Williams eyes filled with unshed tears.


“Mom was American.” He whispered, his voice choked with emotion. Giles reached out for his son only to be shrugged away.


“William, it’s only been a month, it’s ok-”


“I’m fine dad.” William replied shortly, wiping furiously at his eyes. “We should get going.” Giles sighed in resignation and grabbed his jacket from the hall closet and followed his son from the house.



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“So you wanna come over?” Willow Rosenberg’s voice asked over the cordless phone. Buffy Summers sighed and fell onto her bed with a flop.


“No can do. Mom invited Giles over for supper tonight.” Buffy said disdainfully.


“Is your boyfriend going to be there?” Willow asked slyly.


“Eww! As if!” Buffy screeched. “He is so not my boyfriend. God he is such a geek.” The sound of Willow’s laughter trickled from the phone, pulling a growl of disgust from her friend.


“BUFFY.” Joyce Summers voice yelled from the main floor.


“JUST A MINUTE.” Buffy yelled back, forgetting to pull the phone from her ear. “Gotta go Wills.”


“Ya I heard, not that I will be hearing anything else, ever!” Willow replied sarcastically, causing Buffy to giggle.


“Sorry. Call you tomorrow?” After setting plans to meet the next day, the two girls hung up.


Buffy bounded down the stairs with enough noise to make it sound as if she had a herd of elephants on her heels. She bounced into the kitchen to find her little sister Dawn helping their mom put the finishing touch on supper.


“’Bout time you got here.” Dawn whined, glaring at her older sister.


“I was talking to my friends.” Buffy said, sticking her tongue out at her sister.


“You have friends.” Dawn replied. “You know the operators are just being nice when you phone to talk to them, pretending you have friends.” Buffy glared daggers at her sister.


“I think you are confusing me with you.” Buffy retorted, swiping something from the plate of goodies on the counter.


“Mom, Buffy’s stealing food.” Dawn complained, swatting at her thieving sister. Joyce sighed and turned to face her quarrelling children.


“Buffy, stop stealing food.” Dawn stuck her tongue out at Buffy, a satisfied grin on her face. “And Dawn, stop bugging your sister.” Buffy smirked and stuck her tongue out at Dawn in retaliation.


Joyce sighed and shook her head at her daughters as the door bell rang.


“I got it.” Dawn yelled excitedly, jumping form the chair she was standing on to run to the door.


“Who’s there?” She called out in a sing-song voice.


“Giles.” A deep voice called back.


“How do I know it’s really you?” Dawn called back coyly. Giles smiled good-naturedly from the other side of the door.


“Why don’t you open up and see.”


“But what if yer some evil monster pretending to be Giles.” Dawn called out, giggling to herself.


“Don’t be such a dweeb.” Buffy said, rolling her eyes, as she came into the e hall. She pulled the door open despite her younger sisters’ protests.


“Hey Giles.” Buffy said before launching herself into his arms.


“Hello dear.” Giles replied, lifting her off her feet and making her giggle.


:Me too, me too!” Dawn squealed, tugging at her sisters’ leg, trying to disengage her from Giles embrace. Giles laughed and replaced Buffy on her feet before sweeping Dawn into an equally enthusiastic hug.


“Hi Giles.” Dawn cried, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly and giving his cheek a sloppy kiss.


“Girls, let the poor man in.” Joyce called out with an indulgent smile as she wiped her hands on her apron. Giles set a pouting Dawn back on the floor and stepped into the house.


“Hello Joyce.” HE said warmly, taking her hands in his and kissing her cheek.


“How are things?” Joyce asked, giving his hands a squeeze.


“Getting better.” Buffy lost interest in the adults as she turned back to the door to see William standing in the porch, his eyes fixed on his shoes.


“Hi Buffy.” He said softly, raising his eyes briefly to hers before they darted back to his shoes.


“Hi William.” Buffy replied, suppressing a smile. “You coming in or you eating on the porch?” Williams ears turned red as he flashed her a sheepish grin before entering the house. Buffy closed the door and turned to see Dawn dragging a reluctant William off in the direction of the living room. Buffy shook her head and went into the kitchen.


“How long till supper.” Buffy asked.


“About ten minutes or so. Why don’t you go play with Dawn and William.” Joyce smiles at her daughter. Buffy made a face and left the room.


“I never could figure out what she has against William.” Giles said with a smile.


“I think it has something to do with boys and cooties, she said.” Joyce replied, pulling the pot of the stove to place it in the sink, her fingers twisting the burner dial to off. “Also, something about the popularity hierarchy of junior high.” Giles stared at Joyce in disbelief.


“Don’t look at me. I have no idea where she learned those words.” Joyce laughed.


“She’s going to be a heart breaker, that one.” Giles said moving around the counter to help Joyce finish with the salad.


“Not for a few years I hope.” Joyce said, a harried expression crossing her face.


“Thank goodness for cooties.”


“Amen.” Was her reply.

Chapter 2: Young Love

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***Well, I was only gonna post one chapter this week, but this one wrote itself and demanded to be released. Hope you like. Please review.***

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Buffy found Dawn trying to convince William to watch Care Bears on the television while William was playing a mean game of keep away with the remote.

“William?” The boy stopped suddenly as he heard his name. Dawn took the advantage and snatched the remote from his hands and joyfully switching the channel. Williams face lit up with a shy smile as he slipped from the couch and followed after Buffy as he headed up the stairs. Dawn realized she was being left behind and jumped from the couch, running after the pair.

“What’s ya doin’?” Dawn asked curiously.

“We’re going to another dimension.” Her sister replied as she opened her bed room door and gestured for William to enter.

“Can I come?” Dawn asked.

“I’ve told you already. The demons who guard the entrance eat little girls who try to enter.” Buffy replied, trying to close the door.

“But I’m not a little girl.” Dawn pouted. “I’m eight years old.”

“You have to be nine to be allowed in.” Buffy said in a superior voice, a smug smile on her lips. “It’s the rules.”

“But I’ll be nine in two weeks.” Dawn whined, trying her puppy dogs eyes on her sister to no avail.

“So in two weeks you can come in with us.”

“But William will be gone by then.”

“Sorry,” Buffy replied insincerely. “I didn’t make the rules.”

“Yes you did.” Dawn screeched as the door was shut firmly in her face. Buffy smiles and turned back to William.

“Did you get it?” William asked. Buffy smiled and pulled a large piece of cheese from her pocket.

“Come on.” She said as she moved to her closet. The doors were pulled open with a flourish and the boxes in the corner were shifted out to sit in the middle of the room. With a grin, Buffy knelt on the floor of the closet, her fingers pushing into a small whole by the bottom and pulling a large section of the wall away. William took the wood from her hands and watched as she wiggled into the opening, her hand popping back out to grab a flashlight from beside the hole. William waited a moment before following her, sliding the wooden panel back into place behind him. As the panel fit into place, the small hole in the wall fell into darkness.

It was dark. All encompassing, surrounding, clasping, smothering. The silence was deafening as the walls began to close around his body. Just when he was about to call out, the place was filled with light and a voice called out to him from above.

“You coming, supper’ll be done soon so we havta hurry.” William looked up to see Buffy staring down at him, flashlight pointing at him. With a shake of his head, William stood up and started to climb the ladder that was attached to one wall, quickly making his way to the top. He climbed over the edge and faced Buffy. A grin crossed her lips as she flicked off the flashlight and hit a switch. The attic was lit with a rosy glow. William looked into the room and smiled.

Two bean bag chairs with about twenty pillows were sitting against one wall, a small table in front of them. A large plastic cage sat on the table and he could see a small furry critter running her heart out on wheel that was attached to the cage.

“How’s she doing?” William asked as the pair made their way over to the sitting area of their secret fort.

“Better now that you’re here to clean her cage.” Buffy grinned and handed over half of the stolen cheese. She watched as William opened the cage and pulled out the fuzzy hamster, holding the cheese up to for her to nibble.

“I’m gonna miss her.” William said softly, petting the animal in his hand before replacing her in the cage and handing her the cheese. The crazy pet grabbed the cheese and started dragging it into her little house. Buffy giggled and put in her half, watching the hamster run back and forth, trying to carry both pieces at once.

“When you leaving?” Buffy asked as she closed the cage securely and moved over to slump into the big red bean bag chair.

“’Bout a week.” William replied, sinking down beside her.

“Who’s gonna help me take care of Darla?” Buffy asked, sliding closer to William to lay her head on his shoulder. William gave a little start before wrapping his arm around her and letting the blonde snuggle close.

“Suppose you could always get Willow or Cordelia to help.” William offered, his heart breaking at the thought of someone else being up here with her. “Or Xander.”

“No!” Buffy exclaimed. “This is our spot. No one is allowed up here but us!” William smiled at her words and remembered all the time that they had spent in this little haven studying, playing with their pet, or just snuggling on the chairs and talking. William couldn’t remember when Buffy had wormed her way into his heart and now he had to leave her. Tears came unbidden to his eyes.

“I’m gonna miss you, Buffy.” William whispered.

“I’m gonna miss you too.” Buffy replied. “You’re my best friend.” Buffy sat up and pulled William into a fierce hug. William felt his heart grow as the first girl he ever loved acknowledged him as her friend. Buffy pulled back and stared into William’s tear filled eyes, tears flowing over her cheeks. William brought his hand up and brushed away her tears. He paused for a long moment, just staring into her eyes before a look of determination crossed his features and he brushed his lips softly over hers in a short chaste kiss.

“Kids. Dinner.” Joyce called out, breaking the two teens apart.

“Coming.” Buffy yelled, pulling out of William’s arms and standing, wiping furiously at her tear streaked face.

“Come on.” Buffy said, reaching out a hand to pull William to his feet. William’s face was red with embarrassment and Buffy smiled at her best friend before kissing him lightly and turning to hurry towards the ladder. Buffy waited at the ladder for William to go first, as they always did, to open the panel at the bottom. He swung his leg over the hole in the ground. He got himself situated on the ladder and tilted his head up to look into Buffy’s eyes.

“I love you Buffy.” William said, his voice deep, a preview of the man he was to become, before he disappeared down the ladder.

Buffy stared after him in shock, knowing instinctively that those words would haunt her for the rest of her life.