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WOW! All of the reviews?! THANK YOU!
Chapter 25:

 
Monday afternoon, Willow, Anya, and Buffy were all sitting together at the front desk when the door opened and William walked in carrying lunch for all four of them.

"Hello, ladies," he greeted, as he set the plastic bags down on the desk. He leaned forward and met Buffy's lips in a quick greeting.

"Hey, there," Buffy said, smiling as well. "Thanks for bringing lunch for everyone again."

"No problem," William replied.

"What'd you bring us? I think I could eat just about anything." Willow said, reaching over to look inside the bags. She pulled out a wrapped-up sub and a bag of chips and quickly dug in.

"I just picked out a few sandwiches from the sub shop a few blocks away," he explained. "Buffy told me to pick up whatever looked good, so I hope you like it."

"Thank you, William," Anya said, reaching in the bag and pulling out the first sandwich she touched.

William left to grab a chair from the back room so he could sit with the three women out front. When he came back out carrying a chair, he placed it beside Buffy and sat down. He couldn't help but notice how she unconsciously leaned closer towards him once he was sitting next to her, and he couldn't help but smile because of it.

"How has everyone's day been so far?" He asked, taking the last sub for himself.

"Boring as hell," Anya flatly replied before taking a bite.

"Anya, it hasn't been that bad," Buffy replied. She sent an apologetic look towards William before taking a bite of her own sandwich. "It's just been a bit slow this morning."

"I don't even know why you called me in today," Anya continued to complain. "I mean, not that I don't love making money - I do. Making and counting money is just the best thing...well, the second best thing in life of course, but when we're just sitting around here doing nothing, it's just a waste of time."

"Well, I wanted all of us working together today so I could talk to you about my upcoming opening," Buffy said. "It's coming up pretty quickly, especially since I've finally set a date. I've decided to have the opening on January twenty-first."

Willow's face brightened and she smiled. "Oh, Buffy! And that's your birthday too!"

At hearing this, William perked up, having never heard Buffy's exact birth date or the fact that it was coming up so quickly. "Your birthday?"

Buffy nodded. "I figured what better present could I give myself than to have my opening on the same night?" She looked at William, wondering what he was thinking at that moment to make him look so worried.

William frowned and tried to hide his confusion by eating more of his sandwich. How on earth was he going to get something for her birthday in just two weeks? He had borrowed some money from Dawn for Buffy's Christmas gift, but how could he ask her for more money when he hadn't paid her back for his first loan? With no job or any available money for himself, what could he do to make her day special?

I'll have to talk to Dawn when I return to the apartment, he thought. Maybe there was a way to borrow a bit of money from her without raising any questions.

"Well, it's great that you’ve set a date," Willow said. "So, I'm guessing that you're about done with everything?"

Buffy nodded, smiling proudly. "All of the other artists are about finished as well, and I only have a couple paintings left to work on myself before we can actually start setting up the gallery."

"And then we can make lots of money," Anya stated excitedly.

"Yes, Anya, there will hopefully be plenty of money to be made and counted, which I will leave in your capable hands."

"I cannot wait to see the finished paintings," William told her softly. "I am sure that your opening night will be a success."

"Let's hope so," she said with a worried look on her face for a second. "Oh, and that was something else I wanted to talk to you all about too. I've decided to have a theme on opening night."

"Theme?" Willow asked.

She nodded and quickly explained to her best friend what this series of paintings was about since Willow was the only one in the room that hadn't seen any of her paintings yet. "So, I've decided to go all out and decorate this place like the late 1800s, and that includes costumes for all of us for the evening."

"Costumes?" Anya repeated. "You mean, like...frilly, long dresses and all?"

Buffy nodded and looked over at William with a smile on her face. "Yes, we'll be going all out for the night and my goal is to have us authentically dressed for the occasion."

William smiled back at her and let his mind drift, trying to think of what Buffy would look like in the attire of his era. Although he was now accustomed to seeing the tight-fitting, revealing clothing of the 21st century, there was still something about seeing a lady dressed in the elegant evening-wear of his time. He imagined her dressed in a flowing dress and suddenly the twenty-first couldn't get here soon enough.

"It sounds like a lovely idea," he said.

"Oh yeah? Well, you aren't going to be the one wearing some frilly costume all night long," Anya replied.

"There will be minimal frills, I promise, Anya," Buffy replied. "I'm just so excited about this opening, I really want to go all out and have a ball with it."

"Well, I for one am excited," Willow said. "Do you know where we're going to be able to find dresses for the night? Or what they should even look like?"

Buffy eyed him out of the corner of her eyes. "Oh, I'm pretty sure I can easily come up with what the dresses looked like back then. I'll look around for either a vintage clothing store or someone who can make some alterations on dresses that are a close match."

"I think it'll be a really fun evening," Willow said. "And maybe we can celebrate your birthday after the opening?"

"We'll see," she said vaguely. Truthfully, she was hoping that the rest of her birthday would be spent with William, and William alone. "Actually, I haven't really gotten that far in my plans yet."

Anya, who had been silent for the last few minutes, finally spoke up again. "Okay, I won't complain anymore on one condition."

"And what's that, Anya?"

"No. Corsets."

 
~~~

 
William arrived back at the apartment two hours later after privately talked to Buffy about what their dresses should generally look like, among other things. Truthfully, there hadn't been very much talking after she shut the door of her office, but William still told himself that.

"Hey," Dawn said, coming out of her bedroom. "How was lunch with Buffy?"

"Wonderful," he replied, sitting down on the couch. "It's always wonderful."

Dawn sat down beside him and shook her head. "Man, you have it so bad."

"Have what?"

"Yeah, the hots for my sister," she answered. "But, I'm sure you are well aware of that."

Not wanting to discuss his affection for her sister, William quickly changed the topic. "We discussed her upcoming opening at the gallery over lunch with Willow and Anya."

"Oh really? Yeah, I heard her talking about it, but she won't tell me what it is," Dawn said. "But, I'm sure she told you, right?"

William nodded. "Yes, and I have seen a few of her pieces. It is going to be a wonderful opening." He paused, thinking this was the best time of any to ask about Buffy's birthday. "She also decided that the opening date would be the twenty-first."

"Oh, her birthday," Dawn said. "Gosh, it's coming up that soon, huh? I'll have to think of something to get her."

"She, uh, actually had never spoken of her birthday with me before," William admitted. "Well, of course she has spoken of past birthdays, but she had not told me the exact date until now."

Dawn looked somewhat surprised by that, but then shook it off and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sure she would have let you know in plenty of time to get her a present," she teased. "You know Buffy, she loves getting pretty things on her day."

William slightly shrugged and slumped into the couch. "Well, therein lies my problem," he started. "I haven't the slightest idea of what to give her."

"Y'know, just get her things that women like," Dawn said.

"But..." William's voice died off and he wondered how much he should say without risking any suspicion from Dawn. "I do not know what to give women for their birthday." After all, the only women in his life up until a month ago were his mother and sister. Not to mention that gifts in 1882 were much different than they are now.

Dawn's brow furrowed as she looked at him. How could he not know what to give a woman for her birthday? And not just any woman, but his girlfriend? Sure, some guys weren’t very creative, but they usually had some idea of what to get.

"And that leads me to my next problem," William continued, "which is how to pay for whatever I give her."

Now Dawn was really confused. "You mean...wait, you still don't have any money with you?" William shook his head. "How can you not have any money with you still?"

William shrugged, now regretting that he had decided to mention any of this with Dawn. "I..."

"I can understand not having all of your finances set up when you first got here, but it's been almost a month since you started staying with us," Dawn said. She couldn't help but feel suspicious towards this man who was quickly becoming like a brother to her. Could it be that everything he had said and done was a lie? Was he really like Warren, out to hurt her sister in the end?

"Dawn, you must understand that there are things that I cannot tell you," William tried again.

"Oh, like how you've been living with us for a month and you don't have a job? Or a driver's license? Or any of your own clothing?" Dawn sat up, anger and accusation written clearly on her face. "How you had to ask to borrow money for Christmas and now her birthday because you don't have any of your own?"

"Dawn, I-"

"No, no William. I just don't get it." She stood from the couch and started walking towards her room. "It's just like you're some type of freeloader, just living off of my sister's money, support, everything, and that's just...wow, that's now what I thought you were like at all."

"And I am not like that," he said. "I just...I can't tell you why I do not have all of my personal affects with me, but-"

"Then it's probably for the best that you don't tell me anything at all," Dawn said. "At least not until I've calmed down a bit."

William lowered his eyes from hers, giving up the battle to defend himself. Just like I always do, he thought regretfully. "Alright."

Dawn was about to close her door when William asked, "Are we still friends?"

Dawn turned around and slightly nodded. "Of course we're still friends, William. I just...I don't get you all of the time, and now - now I'm not so sure that you really are who I thought you were, that you're the guy meant for my sister." And with that, she closed her bedroom door behind her.

 
~~~

 
At 7:30, Buffy came back home. She opened the door and smiled when she saw William sitting on the couch with his laptop in front of him. She couldn't help but notice how addicted he was becoming to that computer.

"Hey, you," she greeted when she had closed the door and taken off her coat. "How are you?"

"Fine, and yourself?"

Buffy walked over and sat beside him, leaning over and gently pressing her lips to his. "Great, now," she said once she had pulled away. She looked at him for a beat more and noticed the solemn expression on his face. "What’s wrong?"

William closed his laptop and set it on the coffee table. "I had a talk with Dawn this afternoon when I came back here."

Buffy could tell that this was going to be a serious discussion, so she sat back and looked at him with all seriousness. "Okay, what about?"

"Well, I was asking her about your birthday...what to get you, how I had no idea when your birthday actually was-"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't tell you beforehand," Buffy said, "so if that's what this whole thing is about, I'll just apologize and let Dawn know that-"

"No." William's voice was stern - a first coming from him, Buffy thought - and suddenly she knew that it was much more than just being uninformed about her birth date. "No, it wasn't that," he added much softer.

"Then what is this about?" When William didn't answer, Buffy's heartbeat jumped and she sat up straighter. "William, you're worrying me."

"I think we should tell Dawn," He finally spoke, avoiding looking at her eyes as he spoke.

"Tell her?"

"Tell her where I came from," he clarified. "When I came from, in point of fact."

At hearing this, Buffy quickly shook her head. "No, no. We are definitely not telling Dawn anything like that about you."

"And why not?"

"She'll think we're crazy!" Buffy said. "She'll think that I've gone off the deep end and that you're clearly insane."

"Not if we prove it to her."

"With what? How?" she stood up and paced back and forth a few times. "What, we'll just shove her into the bottom drawer of the desk and let her pop out in 1882?"

William rolled his eyes at her sarcastic suggestion. "No, but we could show her our journal, let me talk to her about my life."

"No, out of the question."

"But she's beginning to question certain things about me," William said. "She doesn't understand why I do not have any funds, why I don't and can't drive, why I don't understand women and how to act around you most of the time."

"Who cares what she thinks?" Buffy asked. With every other word she could hear her voice rising, her anger rising as well, and her rationality beginning to slip away. She was clearly upset by this turn of events, what was beginning to look like her first argument with William. She had been planning to come home to a nice evening with her boyfriend, maybe out for a late dinner and then back home for some more fun once Dawn had gone to bed for the night. Instead, it was beginning to look like none of that would be happening - not this night, anyway.

"I do!" He exclaimed. "Believe it or not, your sister means a great deal to me, and her opinion of me is also important. I do not want her misunderstanding my intentions towards you."

"Oh, right. But naturally she'll understand that the reason for all of that is because you were actually born in 1856," Buffy sarcastically answered.

"I just don't want her thinking that I am simply another Warren here to give you heart ache," he replied defensively.

"Funny, that seems to be what I'm feeling right about now," Buffy replied.

"Buffy, what is the problem here?" he asked. "Honestly, what is the real reason that you do not want me telling Dawn the truth?"

"I don't know, I just don't know," she said, shaking her head back and forth as she spoke. Finally, she stopped her movement and looked at him with a mixture of anger and Distress. "But fine. Fine! Go ahead and tell her whatever the hell you want. Oh, I'm sure she'll take it well, she probably won't even bat an eye when you tell her that you traveled through time, over 100 years, with our magical desk and with our enchanted journal to end up here to be with me. Of, I'm sure it's exactly what she's expecting to hear, William."

William sat at the edge of the couch and looked at her with a stern expression on his face - an expression she had never seen on his beautiful features before. "Could we possibly attempt to stay away from resorting to sarcasm every time that you do not want to directly answer my questions?"

"I can answer any way I damn well please to, so don't you even try to actually start growing a backbone right now and tell me otherwise," Buffy said, the words rushing out of her mouth before she could think about what she was saying.

William blinked, closed his mouth, and sat back, having never expected to hear something like that pass through her lips.

Don't you even try to actually start growing a backbone right now, don't you even try to start growing a backbone...

Her words echoed in his head and William felt his heart lurch at her harsh tone. Was this what she truly thought of him? "Enough," he softly replied. William leaned over and unplugged the adaptor for his laptop from the wall. He gathered everything together and started heading towards his room. "It appears that sarcasm has won this fight after all."

"William, I-"

"Good night, Buffy." And with that, he softly, yet firmly, closed the door behind him.

 
~~~

 
Dawn rolled over in bed and tried to shut out the loud sounds coming from the living room. Although she couldn't really make out the words that were coming from either of them, she knew a fight when she heard one.

Just like Mom and Daddy, Dawn thought with regret.

But this was Buffy and William, and they weren't supposed to fight - ever. They were the lovely-dovey, puppy-dog-eyes, I-want-to-throw-up-because-they-are-so-sickeningly-sweet, type of couple, and they just weren't supposed to fight - that was that. And although the sight of her sister sucking face with someone who was quickly becoming like a brother to her totally grossed her out, Dawn would prefer to watch them make out than hear them fight.

Their voices quieted down and she listened carefully as she heard the door to the guest room quickly shut. Several long seconds later, the floorboards outside of her doorway squeak and the sound of Buffy's bedroom door closed a few seconds after that.

Uh oh, not good, Dawn thought. If they were actually going to spend the night away from each other, it must have been a pretty intense fight.

And Dawn suddenly hoped that it wasn't about her, about what she had said to William earlier in the afternoon. Although she did have her suspicions, if what she had said was what caused this fight, Dawn would never forgive herself if it actually caused a break in their relationship.

As she shut her eyes, Dawn just hoped that everything could be worked out and there wouldn't be anymore fights between her favorite couple.

 
~~~

TBC...


Uh oh! Trouble for our couple...? Hehe. :P

And can I just say WOW! Thank you all for the reviews for the last chapter! Well, I asked for reviews and I most certainly got them - you all totally went beyond my hopes! They all really brightened up my day when I read through them all - it means so much to me that you all are enjoying my little story so much. THANK YOU!

So, I guess all I have to say this time is keep it up! Hehe, I'm sorry the ending of the last chapter was such a tease, but maybe I'll make it all up to you before the end of the story!





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