Chapter 35
News of what had happened with the Summers family spread like wildfire around the village, soon they were everyone’s gossip. However staying inside Hartley manor they bore it out together.
Buffy's fever seemed to have progressed and everyone was starting to fear for her survival. William felt like he was going insane. He needed something to do or it would drive him crazy. He had to find a way to help her, to help his princess get better.
Since he had brought her here he hadn't left her side, he simply refused, and now the effects were starting to show. His hair was unwashed and due to lack of brushing his natural curls where wild and unruly. He had stubble growing on his sculptured cheekbones, but he cared little of his appearance. He would stay by Buffy's side until she woke up, nothing could move him.
***
With one of her children in a coma and the other out of work, Joyce was struggling to hold it together. Snyder had come round again demanding the rent that they owed him. Anya, being the only one home and not at the manor with the rest of the family at the time, had managed to stave him off, but the question was, for how long? Joyce had no money left to pay him with and the money she had brought over from England with them, though not much, had disappeared a long time ago. For a while now they had been relying on Alex's wages to support the family. They were far from living in the luxury's that they had been used to.
She had learned the hard way not to rely on people’s kindness; it could be taken away so easily. Joyce lived in the real world now. She knew that they couldn't stay at Hartley manor forever. She would have to find a way to pay the rent and support her family so that they wouldn't be homeless, and whatever she'd do she knew she had to do it soon.
Slipping quietly into her daughter’s room, she noticed the non moving William, sat at the edge of Buffy's bed, clutching her hand.
“William?” Taking her shawl off she sank into the chair at the opposite side of the bed. “William, darling. You should go and get some sleep.” As he started to speak Joyce cut in again. “No William, in a proper bed.”
“No Joyce, You know I can't leave her.”
“William. You are no good to her like this. When she wakes up she'll need you strong to look after her, not sleep deprived. “She stressed the word when, when she wakes up, not if.
For the first time since Joyce had come into the room, William took his eyes off the sleeping Buffy and looked at Joyce. He saw the pain and misery swirling in her eyes. He knew there was more there than what was simply connected to her daughter.
“Joyce what’s wrong?”
She looked down, almost ashamed, as though ashamed to admit there was something wrong and she couldn't do everything herself. She was stubborn just like Buffy. “Just everything with Buffy, makes a mother worry.”
William wasn't about to take that as an answer. “No Joyce that’s not everything, what else is wrong?”
“Really it’s nothing to worry about just a few financial problems, that’s all.”
“Well tell me about it, I might be able to help.” William looked at her with kind eyes and a helpful smile on his face. Joyce found it hard to refuse him.
“We are struggling to pay the rent, but we will be fine. We have been through much worse.”
“Why didn't you tell me? I can pay it, then you won't have to worry.”
“No! William I am just like you. I am too proud and too stubborn for my own good. I cannot accept your charity. You have done more than enough already for my family and I. We will forever be in your debt; I can't ask this of you as well. We will be fine, I promise.” She gave him a sad smile to try and tell him kindly that the conversation was over.
William however wasn't about to let it drop. “Why are you Summers' women so stubborn?” Finally letting go of Buffy’s hand he stalked over to the window. He could see Buffy’s little sister and her brother walking in the gardens. Watching them talking together, he realized what he could do to help the family. Turning back to Joyce, he looked at her with renewed hope in his eyes.
“The whelp is out of work at the moment right?”
“Whelp?” Joyce just stared at him confused.
“Your son.”
Realization dawned on Joyce’s face over what he was talking about. “Oh you mean Alex? Yes. Thanks to Mr. Finn, the mine no longer employs Alex. Which I suppose is a mild blessing in disguise now he no longer has to go down the mines, but it’s also bad news for the family. Why do you ask?”
“Well you see, when Liam and Darla died, I also lost a very trustworthy man-servant. Now if the whelp is willing to do a few things around the manor, I’ll pay him a decent wage. Enough to see your family over.”
Joyce looked at his unsure. “Umm.”
“Think about it Joyce it makes perfect sense, and isn’t just me giving the family charity. I won’t just be giving you money; you’ll be earning it. Yet you are still close enough for when Buffy wakes up. See, what’s bad about that?” He looked at her hopefully.
“Well I’ll have to ask Alex but I can’t see why not. Thank you William. I’ll go and find him. Are you ok here?”
“Yes! Now go!” and with that, a slightly happier Joyce left the room. Leaving just Buffy and William in the room together.
Sitting back down in the chair he held her hand tight again. “See baby. I’ll look after your family, just like I’ll look after you; you just have to wake you baby. I know you can.” For a brief second, William was sure he felt Buffy’s hand twitch in his. His heart swelled as he looked at her. “That’s it, wake up princess, you can beat this.” But as he looked at her she was still once again.
Settling back down into the chair, his heart sinking back down to the bottom of his chest, he held her hand tight and closed his eyes. He knew she would wake up, it just had to be in her own time and not on anyone else’s, and Buffy never was one to do things on other peoples timetables.
***
That afternoon Alex started working with the rest of the staff. It was a help that they all appreciated. Most of the staff were still mourning the loss of Larry, however the new houseguest brought a welcome distraction. For everyone except for Willow that was.
While having the Summers’ here had finally released the poetic William from the drunken stupor that he had lived in since Elizabeth had been forced to leave. It was revealed that he was a much kinder and more tolerable master than any she had had before him. However despite all this Willow couldn’t seem to find calm. Her whole Body seemed wracked with worry and concern for the fate of her best friend, who currently laid resting in a coma upstairs. Every time the doctor came, she quizzed him about Elizabeth’s condition, but there was never any change. The longer that she slept the less confident he seemed about her waking up and regaining consciousness. Willow on the other hand refused to give up hope.
She longed for distraction but little was bringing her distraction at the moment. Oz had succeeded for a while in distracting her. He had found her one day, not long after Elizabeth had been brought to the manor. Willow had been alone in the barn, crying silently. He had snuck up behind her and placed his hands over her eyes, before kissing her gently on the neck. Turning her around they had sat down in the hay, and had talked for at least a half an hour.
Willow had discussed her fears of losing her best friend. After many tears and hugs and long conversations they had stood up ready to make their way back to the manor. Then there, amongst the hay and the mucking out tools, Oz had sank to one knee. Pulling out a ring, he had proposed to the woman he loved, there and then. Overcome with his love and passion, she agreed without a second thought.
Between them, they had decided that they wouldn’t announce their engagement to everyone until Elizabeth was out of the woods and there was cause for celebration within the household.
As she now carefully carried the tray of food up that Maggie had made for Master William, she thought of the ring that she carried in her apron pocket. Though not a large diamond, or the most expensive, it showed of Oz’s love and devotion to her. As she carried on walking up the staircase she mused about what would happen between the two lovebirds upstairs now. Their relationship was no longer a secret. The whole household knew, and it appeared most of the village knew now as well. They no longer had to hide their love behind closed doors.
As she approached the room Elizabeth was staying in she quietly opened the door and slipped in. William had his head laid on the bed next to Elizabeth’s hand, he was snoring softly. Elizabeth was lying in the same place she had been for the last two and a half weeks.
Placing the tray on the bedside table, she went and knelt next to her best friend. Holding her hand tight, she looked at her face.
“Hey you, its Will. I don’t know whether you can hear me or not, the doctors didn’t say, but that doesn’t mean I can’t talk to you even if you can’t hear me. You can’t shut me up darling. I miss you, Elizabeth, I need you to wake up.” Tears welled in her eyes, and slowly started to run down her cheeks and dripped on to Elizabeth’s hand that was held tight in her own.
“Please, you have to wake up. Umm what have you missed while you have been sleeping? Do you know about Liam and Darla? Oh Stupid Willow, asking questions you can’t answer. Umm well anyway they died. They both got this illness. I know you won’t grieve the loss much, neither of them meant anything to you, I know, not after what Liam did. I just thought you should be kept up to date. I think Cordelia is missing him. She seemed very, umm, friendly around him. I think he was playing her, but he died before he could go all grr-y. So I guess she is left with happy memories now.
“Its funny she has settled in really well here now, she in nowhere near as stuck up as she was before, can you believe that?! She has been really invaluable since Larry… Oh god, you wouldn’t know. Larry died, Elizabeth. Same time as Liam. That’s who he caught that illness off, killed him within days. Its been quite hard.
“Sorry for the mass of information, I just want you to know what’s been going on.” Throughout her whole speech, neither Elizabeth nor William stirred. It made Willow feel like she was talking to herself, but she would do it a hundred times over if it was in any way helping Elizabeth. She would do anything that might help her friend wake up.
“What else do I have to tell you? Oh Elizabeth I have the happiest news! We haven’t told anyone yet. We are waiting until you wake up and grace us all with your presence again. We think it would be inappropriate to tell people when you are sleeping. But you have to wake up soon. I need my best friend for this. Elizabeth, I’m engaged! Oz, he asked me to marry him, and I said yes! I’m going to be his wife. I am so excited. I want you to be my bridesmaid, so you have to wake up.
“Oh but you should have been there. It was so romantic. Not as romantic as I hear Master William has been with you, or what he is like now! You should see, he hasn’t left your side since you came. He has been with you day and night. Oh its so sweet and…”
Suddenly Elizabeth’s hand moved. First it had just been her fingers twitching then her whole hand moved.
“Elizabeth?” Willow stood up quickly with great excitement. “Elizabeth, please!”
The sudden movement and noise had jolted William out of his sleep.
Willow pointed to Elizabeth’s moving hand, and excitement took over him. ‘That’s it baby, you can do it!”
Slowly her eyes began to flutter open. As her eyes struggled to focus round the room, finally she spoke her first words in weeks.
“Riley?”
William and Willow just stared at each other.
TBC…
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sooo sooo sooo sorry it has taken me forever to get this posted. As most of you know, my life has got beyond hectic now!! I have actually finished writing this now and am waiting for help beta-ing it then i will post it!!!