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Wow sooooooo close to the end now!!!!!!!! Hope you are all still enjoying!!!!! Please please please review!!!
Chapter 39; Making things better

Elizabeth stared in shock at paper in her hands. Reading the headline again, 'King’s Cousin Persecuted', she then read the rest of the story, barely able to comprehend what it was telling her.

When she had read it for a second time, she set it down next to her and looked at William.

"William, I…I don't understand."

"They caught him Buffy. The bastard has been put away."

"But how did you?" Buffy was in shock. Her father’s treachery had finally been brought to light and he was being held in contempt by the king. It was all so confusing. Elizabeth was sure she must have fallen asleep after all and this was all just a dream. She had dreamt of this moment for the last three years.

"I just needed the evidence, that’s all it was. I knew I couldn't do anything until I had that. So I waited. I knew, Buffy, if he had slipped up once he was bound to do it again. Then, pet, a few days before I left for bonnie ol' England, I got a letter telling me that solid proof had been found."

"But how? Where’d you…?" Elizabeth couldn't get over that he would do all this for her family, he was her hero.

"I have influence in London, not much but some. And my father has even more. I found that one of the servants, who used to work here--one my father had diddled with--is now chambermaid to your father. It took me a while to convince her that she’d be safe if she did this for me. But I managed to convince her to search Hank’s room.

"She did it every time that he was away. I must admit I lost hope that she would find anything; it seemed to be taking so long. Your father was cunning; he hid all evidence well, but not well enough.

"On the sixth day, she sent me word she had found the evidence that I needed. Your father was certainly meticulous; he seems to have kept every letter he ever wrote, including the one to the king’s conspirators.

"Armed with the proof that I needed, I set out to get justice done, and to clear my princess’s name. I couldn't tell you what I was doing, though I longed to. I couldn't get your hopes up. I knew there was a chance I wouldn't be able to get anyone to even look at my findings. But I went to England anyway; I knew that I couldn't give up, not for a second."

Elizabeth sat in silence as he told his story; she couldn't understand why someone would do all this for her. Everyone she had met in life seemed to abandon her at one stage or another; she couldn't comprehend that William loved her so much that he wouldn't leave her.

"When I was in England, my first job was getting someone to listen; I knew that would be the hardest task. But as you said Buffy, as much as I deny it, I am still an English gentleman, turns out that that still has some sway over there, especially the Hartley name. I managed to get the king to agree to see me. He took a lot of convincing, but, as you know, I am not one to give up.

"Though he tried to deny it at first, he couldn't hide from what I was showing him. He did what he had to do, Buffy. Your father was arrested, it’s been rumored they may even deport him. Baby, your name has been cleared. You are no longer poison. Your family is free."

"Oh William! I love you so much!" Jumping up she hugged him tightly, almost swinging her whole weight onto his body. "Wait until I tell Alex and the rest of the family. We have longed for this day. I didn't think the truth would ever surface. You are amazing; you’re an amazing man. Thank you so much for doing this for us."

"I did it all for you Buffy, I would walk on hot coals if I knew it would make you happy. Always for you, you must know that."

"Oh Spike, you treat me like a queen, how could I ever live without you in my life?"

Sitting back down, with a happy smile, she picked the paper back up and read it though again, amazed at all that William had done for her. Spike sat next to her, peppering her shoulder with light kisses as she read.

"Spike?"

Looking up from her shoulder, he tilted his head to once side as she talked to him. "Yes, pet?"

"What’s this about at the bottom, 'The King now calls out for his disgraced niece, who recently had her name cleared of all treachery, to be reinstated into the Royal family, after many years of desuetude'?"

"Oh that, you were right, love, King does love you. Guess the guy feels bad for sending you away. Wants you back by his side, part of the royal family again. Back to being 29th inline to the throne."

"Oh," suddenly Elizabeth’s mood dropped. "If I go back, then we wouldn't be together anymore."

"We both have our place, pet; I guess mine is here now there is no more Liam. I guess the question is: where is your place, or more importantly, where does your heart lie?"

"My heart? That’s here with you. But can I really ask my family to stay here, when they are being offered the chance back into their luxury that they deserve. Can I really be that selfish?"

William looked disheartened, he had thought that solving Buffy's problems would solve everything, but he had been wrong.

Smiling weakly, Buffy cupped his face in her hands. "I’ll write to my uncle, and I will go and see Giles. He always used to know what to do. But I guess it should wait until morning, tonight it will be just you and me. Please, stay with me."

Nodding, the two lovers went and lay on the bed together.

***
Buffy woke with a start the following morning; jumping out of bed, she ran over to the chaise and picked up the newspaper. As she read it through again, a groggy voice was heard from the bed. "Still just as real as it was last night. Now come back to bed."

Smiling, Buffy put the paper down and went over and kissed William gently on the check. "I can't come back to bed. I need to go and see Giles. Will you be alright?" Williams’s mood dropped.

"Yes, I'll be fine, love. Now you get going. The sooner you go the sooner you get back. "

Smiling, Buffy kissed him lightly again, before leaving the room.


***
Giles was still at the small Summers house. While Joyce, Alex and Anya--so she could be close to Alex--were currently living at Hartley Manor, the rest of the family had continued living in the small Summers cottage.

Taking one of the horses, Buffy arrived at the house in no time. Entering the small house she saw Giles reading; it was a comforting sight after all the craziness of the last few weeks.

"Giles!"

Looking up he saw the girl he saw as a daughter stood there in the doorway. "Oh Buffy," standing up he went and gave her a tight hug. "How are you feeling?"

His kind gentle voice made Buffy smile, the way it had always done when he had still been her tutor. Inside he always seemed to make her feel calm, like no problem was too big.

"Giles, I need you help."

"Ok, let’s sit down and talk about it."

And that’s exactly what they did, for the next two hours they discussed everything this turn of events had brought with it.

When Elizabeth mounted the horse later to go back to Hartley manor, she felt calm again and back in control of the situation. Armed with a letter to send back to her uncle, she made her way back to the place that she saw as home now.

***
When she got back to the manor, she led her horse round to the stable before going off in search of her love.

He was easy to find. Buffy found him sat in his library pretending to read, but really she knew he had been sat there waiting for her return, much like she would do when he went away.

‘‘Hey, Spike.''

Putting the book down on the desk, he went over to his love and captured her in a tight hug.

‘‘Hey baby, how did it go?''

Buffy smiled, feeling happier than she had in a while. "I talked to Giles for what felt like hours. He helped me clarify things. Over the last three and a half years, we have all changed so much. We aren't the same people who left London that fateful day. We have all come so far; we learned to fend for ourselves. We couldn't go back to London and fit in, we couldn't go back to just pretending none of this ever happened. Our lives are here now whether we like it or not. Giles helped me see that’s its not just me that feels this, all my family feel the same, they have forged themselves a life here, made friends and relations. I would be cruel to ask them to leave it all behind.

"So, I have written to my uncle. Telling him that while I am grateful for his kind offer, I write on behalf of the family, and we regret to announce that we must decline his generous offer; we cannot go and live in London, as our lives now belong here.

"I have however asked that we may have my father’s inheritance, at least then my family can live in comfort. The way they should.

"So there you go, guess you won't be getting rid of me anytime soon."

Spike smiled like a schoolboy in love. "I love you Miss Buffy Summers, you really are something."

The future certainly looked a little brighter now for the two soul mates. Together they would face it. Together they could overcome any challenge.

TBC...

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