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Author's Chapter Notes:
WOW! Thank you all for the incredible reviews for the last chapter! I knew that the reaction would be big, but never that major! Thank you!
Chapter 11:

 
 
Buffy was still half-asleep when she swore she heard a muttered curse, and then the sound of something crashing to the floor in front of her. Oh God, it's too early for anyone to be breaking in, she thought with a groan. Although she wasn't ready to get up for the day, she opened her bleary eyes and sat up to inspect her room and make sure that everything was okay.

As she sat up, she could still feel the metal of the pocket watch chain wrapped tightly around her arm. The metal had grown warm from being against her skin all night and as the chain slipped from her wrist, Buffy couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.

However, when she saw what - or, better yet, who was in front of her, all other thoughts were erased from her mind. All of a sudden, she felt as if she couldn't breathe.

To her right, and sitting in front of her desk, was a man dressed in what appeared to be vintage pajamas. Only...I guess they wouldn't be considered vintage for him, would they now? Buffy asked herself, somewhat amazed that she was able to form any coherent thoughts at the moment.

She took a closer look and noticed that there was a dazed expression in his eyes...

Oh my God, look at his eyes, Buffy thought, now unable to form words when she looked at his face. She had never seen such sharp cheekbones, or a pair of eyes more blue than the ones that stared right back at her in equal shock.

She waited a few more seconds to take it all in...to try and come up with some rational explanation why there was a man sitting on her bedroom floor at 7:00 in the morning.

C'mon, Buffy, she scolded herself. For the past three months, you have been writing to someone living in 1882 for Christ's sake, let's start off with a rational explanation for that one. Buffy looked at his unruly, curly, dirty blonde hair, down to his feet, which were bare, and then she slowly looked back up to meet his wide eyes once more.

Finally managing to find her voice, she hoarsely whispered, "William?"

Noticing no reaction from him, she tried again. Buffy summoned her courage to continue speaking, this time without the nervous waver in her tone. "Is it...you?"

The man at the foot of her bed slowly opened his mouth before quickly shutting it. A beat later he responded with a very similar tone of disbelief. "Buffy?"

Oooh, accent...nice. Dawn was actually right after all, Buffy immediately thought, even though she really should have been prepared to hear an accent in his voice. After all, it made sense, seeing as how he came from...

1882!

She felt something deep in her body tighten at the sound of finally hearing his voice, at the deep color of his eyes. She couldn't help but notice the way his hair carelessly fell into them, somewhat hiding the ever-changing shade of blue she so desperately wanted to see right now. "What? I - I mean...wait...but how...?"

"I seem to find myself asking the exact same questions," William managed to quietly respond, letting out a short, nervous chuckle. He shyly glanced up at her once again; however, he quickly looked away, feeling a blush quickly running up his neck at seeing...

Buffy shivered at the sound of his voice and the deep timbre of his laugh, and she pulled the sheet up to better cover her body. "How is this even possible?" she finally managed to ask.

"I haven't the slightest idea," William answered, slowly moving to a more comfortable sitting position. He ran his hand over what would most likely be a fairly decent sized bump on his head; with all of the surprise and shock, he had momentarily forgotten about the pain. William took a look around her room and actually could pick out several things that she had drawn for him in their journal - her telephone, the computer, and several small lamps. Seeing those objects made what was going on that much more real. "Is this really...?"

"2004?" Buffy finished. She nodded, unable to shake off her feeling of surprise. "Yeah...it is."

William - kind, sweet, "perfect gentleman" William was here. Here he was, sitting not even five feet away from her, the man whom she had begun to...

Buffy sat back, trying to figure out what to say and what to do next. In all of her fantasies where she and William were finally given an opportunity to meet, what was happening right now was definitely not one of the scenarios that she had thought out. Instead of whispered words, gentle kisses and promises of a future together, there was now awkward, tense, silence and obvious embarrassment from both ends.

At that moment, Buffy's alarm went off, filling the room with a loud, buzzing noise, one that William had never heard before. He jumped to his feet and frantically looked around the room for what was causing that horrendous racket. Buffy quickly reached over and hit the "off" button before sending an apologetic smile towards the man standing at the foot of her bed.

"Sorry. That was my alarm clock," she explained. "I, uh, I usually start getting ready for work now."

William nodded in understanding, remembering that she had written about alarm clocks once. However, part of him still wondered if that annoying noise might be returning anytime soon. He quickly ran his fingers through his unruly hair, wishing he had a brush with him, and smiled somewhat shakily. "This is not exactly I thought our first meeting would go."

Buffy nodded her head. "I didn't think we would ever have a first meeting to begin with," she muttered.

"I understand," William answered.

"Look, I need to, uh...let me call Willow and tell her that I won't be in to work today and then..." Buffy's voice trailed off, unsure of what she should do or say next.

William is here, she thought. That was about all her mind could process at the moment.

"Buffy," William began, and Buffy had to restrain herself from shivering again at the gentle, caring tone he used to speak her name. "Why don't you go through your typical morning routine, and I will wait until you have...calmed down, so that we may assess the situation together."

Buffy thought about his suggestion for a second and then slowly nodded. "That sounds like a good plan," she said. "I'm just, uh, going to take a shower and get dressed. Just, uh..."

"If you don't mind my looking around-"

"No, no, that's fine, William. Please, feel free to do whatever you want," Buffy quickly answered, trying desperately to escape from the awkward tension that filled the room. "Just, you know, be careful what you mess with, and don't - don't hurt yourself."

"I shall keep my hands to myself," he promised.

Without even thinking, Buffy threw the sheets back and rose from the bed before she remembered what she had worn to sleep in the night before.

William turned bright red when he caught a glimpse of where her short, satin nightgown ended. It was just wrong to see her tanned, bare legs move from under the covers into plain sight, polite society had taught him that. However, after he recalled that he was in 2004 and this was Buffy, of all people, he then had to fight the urge to continue looking away.

"I will leave you to your morning routine," he hoarsely muttered, backing up and beginning to leave her bedroom.

"William..." Buffy began. He did not look up at her, but he paused in the doorway. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

William quickly nodded before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

After the door shut, Buffy's knees gave out and she quickly fell back to sit on the edge of the bed. She held her head between her hands and took several deep breaths, trying to calm her frantic heartbeat.

Oh God, what am I going to do?

 
~~~

 
After closing Buffy's door, William slowly walked down the hallway, taking his time to look at the photographs that lined both walls. Many framed images of Buffy and others, people he assumed were her friends that she had mentioned in their writings, covered the walls.

Many of the photographs also featured a slender girl with long, straight, dark brown hair, who often stood next to Buffy. From Buffy's descriptions and the frequency of her appearances William assumed that this could only be Dawn Summers. He noticed the similarities between the two sisters, and he quickly smiled when he did realize that Dawn, indeed, was slightly taller than Buffy.

As he looked at each photograph, finding himself unable to put names to the faces William took time to gaze at the woman of his affections in each one as the realization of just what was going on began to finally sink in.

William could hardly believe it. He was standing in Buffy's apartment, where Buffy was just one room away, in the year 2004.

It was, literally, a dream come true.

Yes, but if it truly is a dream, why did what just occur seem more like a nightmare? William asked himself.

He had felt the increasing tension in the room and knew very well that Buffy had felt it as well. But even worse, he had clearly sensed that both he and Buffy were embarrassed the entire time. When they had first begun to write to each other, Buffy insisted that he try to overcome his embarrassment in asking any type of personal questions, and she would do the same. Now it was if they were right back to when they had written their very first entry, but even more nervous than before.

Then again, how could he not be embarrassed by what he had just seen? After all, being brought up in an upper class household had kept William away from seeing firsthand anything scandalous or taboo. In 1882, women dressed so they were fully covered and remained that way until in the privacy of the bedroom. Seeing any woman so scandally dressed as Buffy should shock him, there was no doubt about that.

But this was Buffy, and she was different than all of the women in London. Then, his first time ever seeing her in person, and to look at her dressed in something so scandalous.

William cast those thoughts out of mind and continued to walk, passing three closed doors, one which he knew must be Dawn's bedroom, and ending in the living room. The kitchen and dinner table were on his right, and William was surprised of the size of her apartment. When she had explained the layout of her home a couple months ago, William had thought that her home sounded incredibly small. Seeing it for himself, however, made him realize it was not so very much unlike his own home, the only exception being that her apartment was only one story. He walked around the living room, looking at the furniture and other objects placed on tables and bookcase shelves.

Buffy had very good tastes in furnishings, William couldn't help but notice. Of course, he attributed that to her artistic abilities, but he was still awe-struck to be in her living room, sitting on her sofa, as she dressed for the morning.

How was he here?

How was this even possible?

How long would he be allowed to stay?

And then his next, and most important, thought...

What was going to happen to Emily-Grace and his mother without him there to care for them?

 
~~~

 
Buffy stood under the scalding, pulsing water, letting it wash over her body and hopefully wash away her confusion. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be working too well.

William was here. Here he was, no more than thirty feet away from where she stood right now, and Buffy had never been more terrified in her life.

She could actually reach out to touch him for the first time ever. She could talk to him in person instead of simply writing letters back and forth. She could introduce him to Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, and Dawn, and prove to them that the last few months had been real. She could -

"Idiot! God, you're such an idiot, Buffy," she told herself sharply. That was the last thing she needed to do, to work herself up and get her hopes up, only to have William whisked back to 1882 before the day was over. It wouldn't do her any good to start planning for a future that would never happen.

"Do you honestly think that this will actually last?" she asked herself. "That William would actually want to stay here when he has a sick mother and younger sister back home that he needs to take care of?"

Buffy didn't know how he had suddenly traveled 122 years into the future, but she knew one thing - it was just too good to be true. They didn't live in a romance novel, Buffy had told herself that from the very beginning when they had first begun to talk. This was the real world, and things like time travel didn't just happen in order for two people to have their fairly tale ending.

No, this would not last - Buffy was sure of it.

It was either temporary - some crazy fluctuation in time or a possible screw-up with the combination of the magical desk, journal, and pocket watch. Whatever the reason, Buffy had to tell herself that William would ultimately have to go back to his family. To his century.

Away from her.

Buffy wiped her eyes when she realized that the wetness on her face wasn't just from taking a shower. She let the water wash over her once more before turning off the water. "Okay, I can do this..." she whispered to herself as she wrung out her hair and stepped out of the tub. "I can act like he means nothing to me...I have to. I can make him realize that he would rather go back home than stay here with me."

Because more than anything else, Buffy would not allow herself to be hurt by a man again. She had barely made it through her relationship with Warren several months ago, and she knew that whatever happened with William now, the inevitable fallout would be tens times worse than before. After all, this relationship was doomed. In Buffy's mind there was no way an eighteenth century gentleman and a twenty-first century independent woman could make it work.

She hardened her emotions, preparing for whatever might be said or done, while she dressed in jeans and a simple black tank top. She spritzed some conditioner spray into her hair before quickly running a comb through it. After messing around with a couple different hairstyles, she finally decided to pull it all back and place it in a loose ponytail.

Because as much as she wanted William to stay, Buffy knew that fairy tales didn't come true.

 
~~~

 
Buffy walked down the hallway to find William staring out of the window in her living room. As she stepped closer to him, she could see a boyish look of awe and amazement very clear on his features. Although not even five minutes ago her thoughts had been dreary, she suddenly had to fight back her own smile.

"Things look different, don't they?" Buffy softly asked coming up even closer behind him. She stuck her hands in her pockets, unsure of how to act or what to say.

What do you say to the man you've practically fallen in love through reading his words alone? How were you supposed to react to someone who somehow managed to travel through time?

One thing was certain, Buffy wasn't going to be finding any relationship self-help books on this topic at Barnes and Noble anytime soon.

"It's incredible," William answered, the awe clear in his tone. "All of these houses and buildings..." he cleared his voice and looked down at her. "You were not lying when you said they were a hundred stories tall."

Buffy chuckled. "Well, these aren't exactly a hundred stories...more like ten or less. That is an apartment complex across the street, and compared to other buildings, that one is tiny. Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet. Just wait until I show you LA." Buffy's voice cracked at the last minute, as she realized that she was now trying to make future plans with a man who might be gone when she woke up tomorrow morning. William was so entranced by the landscape before him, however, that he did not hear the catch in her voice.

William finally turned his attention away from the window and to the petite blonde standing in front of him, and he couldn't help but think that he had always pictured her taller. Her hair was still wet and pulled back from her face, and she tentatively smiled when she realized he was staring at her.

"What? I know I must look-"

"Buffy," he whispered. "If I may be so bold..."

"Yes?"

"That picture does not do you justice at all. You are far more beautiful than any picture could ever capture," William said truthfully.

Buffy's heart lurched at those words, feeling them warm her heart and break it at the same time. Why, oh why, couldn't he stay?

"Thank you," she answered softly. She cleared her throat and then met his eyes again. "If you want to change out of...that, then I think I have some spare clothes that might fit you until we can buy you some new ones."

She turned around and headed back towards her bedroom, listening to William follow closely behind her. "When Warren and I broke up, he left a few things here. I kept meaning to get rid of then, but never did...I just didn't even want to look at them, so I hid them in my closet. I think they should fit okay."

Buffy dug around in her closet until she pulled out a pair of gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt. "Here you go...," she said, holding them out to him.

William reached out to take the clothing, causing their fingertips to collide and touch. Buffy felt their skin make contact, felt the warmth from his hand, and quickly jumped back, as if afraid she was going to catch a disease from him. "Th-thank you," he stammered, that feeling of nervousness and embarrassment quickly returning. "If you could just tell me where I may change?"

"Of course," Buffy answered, blushing slightly under his intent stare. She walked back through the hallway and stopped in front of the last door that was closed. She opened it and turned on the light, causing a smile to form on William's face.

"Electricity," he murmured. He looked around the rest of the apartment, noticing for the first time all of the lamps and lights he saw. With so many other thoughts racing through his mind, the last thing he had focused on was electricity. "You told me about it, but it was just so difficult to imagine through words and pictures. This is simply amazing." He looked up at the bright light bulbs over the vanity mirror before turning his attention to the rest of the room with an eager look on his face.

"Yeah, I guess it's just one of those things that we take for granted these days," Buffy admitted. "I can't image what it'd be like living without things like electricity and AC. Although I guess you would be able to get through that with ease, huh?"

William nodded. That was another thing he had not noticed - air conditioning. He hadn't even realized how comfortable he felt in her house until right now. It was not bitterly cold like it always was in the morning before the house warmed up from his family and the fires. It was just about perfect, actually. And William knew at least a little bit about these modern conveniences thanks to Buffy's explanations through the journal.

"And this is the...?"

"Oh, this is the bathroom," Buffy announced, stepping in first to show him how to work everything. She explained the shower faucets and how to switch from bath to the shower, hearing an appreciative "ooh" from William as she showed how well the indoor plumbing actually worked. Then she gave a demonstration on how to work the sink, and quickly explained the toilet, managing to keep her blush to a minimum as she tried to explain how men use it.

"I'm sure I will manage quite fine," William assured her as to keep Buffy from rambling on for the rest of the morning. He hadn't even been with her for an hour yet, and he could tell that her early claims of rambling were very true. "If there is anything that I find confusing, I will let you know."

"Okay then," Buffy replied. "How about breakfast?"

"Breakfast would be spectacular," William answered.

"Then I'll be in the room over there," Buffy explained, pointing towards the small kitchen. "And I'll have some food ready for you when you come out."

"Thank you, and Buffy?" Buffy's eyes darted up to meet his. "I do not know how or why I have come to be here with you, but I am grateful for however it happened."

Buffy slowly nodded in agreement before shutting the door for him.

She heard the shower turn on and leaned back against the door, committing this morning to memory in case it was the last, and only, morning she would ever have with William.

"So am I, William," Buffy softly agreed. "So am I."

 
 
 
TBC


And again, thank you for the reviews for the last chapter - let's keep it up! :) Read and review and make the author happy!





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