[Reviews - 48]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 1830 times

- Text Size +




Buffy drove home in a shroud of silence. The events of the afternoon playing and replaying her mind like a bad pop song. Buffy wanted to break down, wanted to weep. Also there was the intense desire to beat something to a bloody pulp. Angel would be a good start.
All her thoughts weighed heavily on her all the ride home. Feelings of doubt began to creep into her mind.

What if she couldn't protect him? What if she wasn't strong enough? Would it be better to raise him normal only to have him suffer at the hands of evil because of it? She knew William would never be completely normal. That was ok. He didn't want to be normal anyway.
But was she doing him, and the future, a disservice by raising him as she was? Should she be trying to toughen him up? Raise him to be some kind of mini soldier in the battle between good and evil? Buffy knew that's what the powers expected, but she shuddered at the thought. He deserved this time. He would have to face his future soon enough. She wouldn't be able to keep him from the fight forever. He did, after all, have a destiny.

She didn't want that for him, but she couldn't totally deny it either. William had a purpose. He would be one of the good guys. This thought filled her with fear as much as it did pride. And even if she didn't want this for him, she knew that she couldn't shield him forever.
Even if she completely wanted to and could, he wouldn't allow it. He'd want to be right there in the fight. He was the son of his parents after all.

All these concerns and more clouded Buffy's mind as she turned onto her street. She noticed them a little ways ahead, right in front of the house. Her family was here. Xander and Mila, Lilia and Willow, Giles and Livia, and even Dawn. They were watching the children ride on their bikes.

Their neighborhood was relatively quite. Not a lot of traffic came in and out of these streets and people were nice while being non-intrusive, (most of the neighbors were from *their* world). It was the perfect place to raise a pair of *spirited* magical children.

Buffy turned into the driveway and immediately got out to embrace her sister and the rest of her family. William was riding up the other side of the street, peddling as fast as his little legs could pump him. He loved to feel the wind in his hair as he raced around on his now TWO wheeled bike. Mithril, who was a full year older than William, had recently mastered the art of two wheels. William, refusing to be outdone, had Xander remove his training wheels too. He practiced and practiced until he had also, finally, manage to keep himself upright.

William must have sensed her, because he turned from Mithril and raced back toward the house. Flying off his bike without even letting it stop, he leapt up and ran to her arms.

"Mommy!" he cried as he laughed and ran to her. "Your Finally back!! You've been gone Forever!!!"

Buffy was tempted to tell her excitable son that an afternoon hardly equates to *forever*, but she was just too happy to see him.

"Mommy will you ride with me? uncle Xander was riding with us, but he got tired too quick. You never get tired too quick like he does!!"

"Thanks for that Will." Xander sighed. "Here Buff. You can use my bike" Xander offered.

"Thanks Xand." Buffy said with a grateful as she took the bike. "But hey you. Why don't you ride with me?" Buffy offered to her son.

He smiled as she helped him scramble onto the bigger bike. Buffy smirked, just a little, at his jr. sized combat army helmet. This was the only thing her son would wear when riding. He had flat out refused to wear any other helmet, citing them as babyish. There was a long standoff between mother and son, until Xander finally found...this...as a solution.

"Okay? Ready?" Buffy asked.

William nodded and giggled and they were off.

Buffy pumped the bike as fast as her slayer legs could go, probably breaking several speed records in the process. Not to mention coming dangerously close to pushing the bike well past it's constructual limits. But the gleeful cries from William for more were enough to keep her going faster and faster. All her concerns flew away from them as they rode together. This simple joy was enough to remind her of what she fought for..for him.. Just a simple life..with simple pleasures.





You must login (register) to review.