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William turned as soon as he heard the phone drop. Buffy had slumped down on the floor, holding her knees close up to her chest.

”Buffy! Love, what’s the matter?” He rushed to her side. “What is it?”



Buffy just looked up into William's blue eyes and began to cry. Everything she'd tried so hard to forget had come back with a bang. How would she get past it once again?



“Baby, I’ve got you.” He picked her up in his arms, and took her back to the bedroom, then laid her on the bed and crawled up beside her, holding her close.



A few minutes later, she looked him in the eyes. She wanted to tell him all about her past. She had to come to grips with it herself, after burying it deep inside of her for so long, but she knew no matter what, he’d always be there for her.



“It’s all right; you don’t have to talk about it right now, honey," he whispered, stroking her hair gently. "Not if you don't feel like it."



“I do, I do. It’s just...it was a very hard time for me and when Willow reminded me of it, it just hit me all over again. I guess...I need a few minutes.” She sniffed and wiped her tears on the back of her sleeve.



William smiled and kissed her on top of her head. She took a deep breath before she began speaking.



“I didn’t tell you everything about my past.” She began softly. “When I turned 19, I met this guy at the Bronze when my friends gave me a birthday party. He was every girl’s knight in shining armor type of guy. You know...tall, dark, and handsome. He was great to me. I totally fell in love with him and then…we slept together.”



“Love, I know all this. You’ve told me about this before. The guy ran out on you."



“Actually," she took a deep breath. "I left something very important out.”



“Go on,” William told her.



“He got me…pregnant.”



“Pregnant?” he repeated, sitting up.



“Yes...but I lost the baby not long after.”



“Oh, honey, I’m sorry.” He held her tightly, not wanting to ever let go.



“I never told him," Buffy choked out. "Was...was that wrong of me?"



“You don’t owe that ponce a damn thing, Buffy. HE did YOU wrong. No girl should ever have to go through what you did.” William held her tightly. “Is that what got you upset?”



“No, he’s…Angel’s in town on business, and I'm afraid he might try to see me."



William let go abruptly. “Angel? He’s the one that knocked you up?”


“Yeah, why?” She asked a bit defensively, not understanding why.



“Shit! I can’t seem to get away from that nancy boy.” He swung his legs off the bed, leaning forward with his hands clasped.



“What? You know him?” she asked, moving closer. "Are you sure? His real name is

Liam...."



"O' Malley," William finished. "Yeah, I know him.He was a good friend of mine until he stole my girl from…I don’t really think she was mine to begin with,” he said, staring at the floor.



“Oh, my god,” Buffy began crying again. “I'm so sorry, William."



“For what?” William asked, turning around. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t know he was gonna be a total ass. Neither of us did, but there’s no reason to be sorry.” He interlaced his fingers with hers. “Baby, I did something totally wrong yesterday.”



She looked up at him with tear stained eyes.



“What?”



“He called…I had no idea he was ‘that guy’, so I deleted the message. I didn’t want it to interfere with our evening.”



“I should have been honest about my past, but I wasn’t, and now we’re in this mess.”



“It’s Angel’s fault. If he’d just stayed the hell away from SunnyD, we’d all been better off.”



Buffy had to agree with that. If he hadn’t come back, the only thing they’d be dealing with was Harmony. Even then, they’d forget about her for the rest of the weekend. Harmony was nothing compared to Angel. She was just an annoying bug that easily could be swatted away. Angel, on the other hand, was ruthless. When he wanted something, there was no stopping him.



Most importantly, Angel had hurt her deeply. It had taken her a long time to even have another relationship, and Buffy wasn’t going to let Angel ruin it. She loved William with her whole heart. More than she'd ever dreamed of. He was her soul mate. He knew her, as she knew him. Buffy wasn’t about to lose that. It was too important to her.



William saw that Buffy was quiet. “Love, what are you thinking about?”



“Us…William, I don’t want to lose this…us. I love you. I don’t care about Angel. He’ll never come between us. He can't. We're too connected.”



He smiled. “Pet, you’re not going to lose me. I love you, too. Very much. He’s not going to come between us. Not if I have anything to say about it.” He got out of bed, and went over to the dresser.



Buffy watched him, nervously.



“What are you going to do?” She got out of bed and went over to him.



William pulled out a pair of jeans. “Something that I should have a long time ago."



God, what does he mean by that?



“What is that supposed to mean?” Buffy asked, while he was pulling up his jeans.



“I kicked his arse once before.”



“You did what?” Buffy asked, nervously.



He pulled out a navy tee-shirt and put it on.



“I kicked his arse for sleeping with Drusilla, my first girlfriend.”



“William, please don’t do something rash.” She tried talking him out of whatever he was going to do. “Angel’s a non-issue. Let’s just forget about this and move on.”



“He needs to be stopped. I don't want him bothering you, not ever again."



“What are you going to do?” She turned him to face her. “I want to know!"



William went back over to the bed, ignoring her protests. Buffy suddenly was more worried then she had been in her entire life. He slipped on a pair of socks, and pulled on his combat boots, and then finally spoke. “Buffy, I’m going over to the Hyperion. Gonna take care of it once and for all.” He got up to leave, but she sat down on the bed and pulled him back down beside her.



Buffy held his hand, and said, “I’m sorry that he hurt you, but this is my battle.” She finally realized this was something that she had to take care of herself. She was scared, but at the same time she was determined to find some peace of mind and closure. “It’s the only way that I’ll truly get over it. You’re more than welcome to come along with me as support, but only as support.”



He squeezed her hand and smiled. “If you're sure that’s what you wish, I’ll respect that.”



“That’s what I want.” Buffy leaned over and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and they fell back on the bed, forgetting their problems for a little while.



************************************************



Double doors were pushed open, and Xander and Anya walked out of their bedroom. She sat down on the couch still half asleep. He went into the kitchen to make coffee and some breakfast. He scanned the shelf, and pulled out a box of cereal.



“Ahn, what would you like to eat?” he asked, grabbing the milk.



“Nothing,” she said, rubbing her stomach, feeling ill. “I don’t feel much like eating right now.”



“Aw, it’ll pass soon, don’t worry,” he said pouring the milk into his fruit loops. He took a bite and started chewing.



“XANDER!,” she said sharply, listening to him chew loudly.



“What?” he asked obliviously, taking another bite.



“You’re eating and I can hear you!” She felt like she was going to throw up.




"So what?" he asked, shoveling in another huge bite.



That was all it took to send Anya running for the bathroom. Xander went into the bedroom, still holding the bowl, waiting for her to come out of the bathroom. When she did, she was wiping her face off with a towel. “When will this end?” she moaned.



“Anya, it’ll be ok. I hear it passes.”



She scowled at him. “When does it pass? Hmm? I have it morning, noon, AND night, Xander, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.” She looked at herself in the mirror. “And look...look at how fat I'm getting!"



He set his bowl down on the table, walked over to her, wrapped his arms her waist. “You look beautiful and that’s just what happens. It won't last forever, honey. Before you know it, you'll be holding our beautiful little baby in your arms."



She smiled, feeling a little better. “I guess you’re right.”



“Have you told the gang yet?” Xander asked, turning her around to face him.



“No, not yet. I know they're wondering what’s wrong.”



“Are you worried about what Buffy will say?”



“Yes, I am. I know she went through hell with that Angel guy. I just don’t want to hurt her with our news.”



“Honey, we won’t be able to keep this hidden much longer."



She sighed. “I know. Don’t remind me.”

Xander kissed her forehead. “Let’s say we do something today.”



“Like what?”



“Visit the gang. Maybe get together later and having dinner somewhere?”



Anya crinkled her nose, “Don't talk about dinner, not right now, honey. I think I’m going to go back to bed for a little while.”



“All right, Ahn, whatever you like. I’ll just be right out in the living room if you need me.”



She smiled and crawled back into bed. He went into the living room, plopped down with his fruit loops, turned on the TV, and scanned the band.



************************************************

William and Buffy walked into the Hyperion and as soon as they entered, it brought back the memories again. But this time was different. She was ok with it now. That was her past, and William was her future. She held his hand as they walked up the stairs to the second floor.



Once they got to the door, she turned to face him, “Remember, William, you’re only here for support...okay?"



He didn’t say anything.



“Okay?"



“Okay,” he finally said. "I'm support guy."



She knocked on the door. They heard scrambling around the room, and finally the door swung open. Angel was there in full view. She wasn’t quite expecting him to be clad in just a bedsheet. William stood off to the side. If she needed him, he’d step out in full view, making sure the ponce didn't do anything he shouldn’t.



“So, you finally showed up. It's good to see you, Buff."



“This isn’t a social call, Angel."



“Oh, what a shame…I was hoping that my friend Courtney, you and I would have a threesome.”



“Very funny."



Angel grabbed her hand, and pulled her forward. "Don't knock it until you try it, babe."



“Let go of me.” Buffy stomped on his foot with the heel of her shoe.



"Fuck!" he yelped, letting go instantly. “You bitch! What’d you do that for?” Babying his foot, he snarled, “I think you broke something."



“Good. I hope it hurts!"



“What the hell is your problem?”



“My problem?”



“Yeah....YOUR problem!"



Buffy looked around him at the girl in his room. “Courtney, I think you should leave. Under age girls shouldn’t be in hotel rooms with grown men."



Courtney looked shocked. “H-how d-did you know?”



“I’ve seen you around. You’re friends with my cousin Dawn. She’s only 17,” Buffy told her.



“You’re 17?” Angel asked Courtney.



“Y-yes, please don’t call the cops,” she pleaded as she grabbed her things and left, almost knocking William down in the process.



“Great," Angel muttered."That’s all I need.” He ran a hand through his hair.



If you only knew what’s outside in the hall, Buffy thought, smiling.



Angel turned towards Buffy. “So, why are you here? It's pretty obvious you don't want to see me."



“I'm here to tell you what I think of you.You hurt me when you left. I was alone and pregnant. You don’t have any idea what that did to me. I loved you and you didn’t even give a care about me. How could you even do a thing like that? I never once did anything to hurt you."



He looked at her shocked. “You never told me you were pregnant. Do I have a son or a daughter?” He wondered if she had lost it, or given it up for adoption or maybe had an abortion. “Where's the kid?"



“I had a miscarriage shortly after I found out.”



“Oh...well. I'm...sorry?" More like relieved, but he didn't say it.



“It hurt for so very long, but I was finally able to let it go and move on, instead of burying it deep down. That’s all thanks to the wonderful man I met. I have no use for you anymore, Angel. You can go to hell,” she said triumphantly.


I’ve so wanted to say that to him for a very long time. It feels so damn good.



Angel was totally shocked. No woman talked to him like that and got away with it.



“I think you might know him. His name is William Giles.” She turned and called her boyfriend.



William Giles? Christ! I haven't thought about him in years.



William entered the room with a smug smile on his face. “Last time we saw each other, I was kicking your ass all over my room."



“Small world, Will. How have you been?” Angel asked, warily.



“Don't make friendly small talk, Angel. We're not old pals. And by the way, how's Dru?"



“You don’t know?”



“Know what?”



“She's...she's dead. Suicide," Angel said briefly.



“What?” William asked, shocked.



“Angel, this better not be some stupid joke of yours,” Buffy asked, holding William's hand tightly.



“No, it’s all true.” He went over to his lap top and turned it on. He went to google and searched for her death notice. “Here, you can see for yourself.”



William and Buffy walked over to the desk while Angel got dressed. William sat down and started reading the notice.





Drusilla Barnes, 29, heiress to the Barnes Hotel chains, and many of the Fallen Angel restaurants owned by her mother’s side of the family, died in her home, an apparent suicide, on the 7th of June. She left a note simply saying ‘I’m sorry I caused so much pain to everyone I ever loved. Please don’t think of my death as shameful. I don’t. I see it as moving on to the next life…Love, Drusilla.’ She is preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, James and Dorian Barnes; maternal grandparents, Michael and Stella Wentworth, and her brother Michael James, who all died in a small plane crash the year before, the wreckage of which was never found.





William turned towards Angel, who was now dressed. “Why didn’t she ever tell me about her grandparents and her brother?”



“She asked me not to say anything, never really giving me a reason why.”



“Weren’t you with her?”



“No, I left her not long after. She kinda went crazy,” Angel said, thinking back to that time.



“She had nobody. That’s a shame,” Buffy said, feeling badly for William. He had after all cared for this woman, but she didn’t feel a bit sorry for her. She got exactly what she deserved. “William, I think it’s time for us to go.”



“Not yet.” William rose to his feet. “How could you leave her?” he asked Angel.



“Will, I couldn’t take it anymore. She talked about the fairies, elves, and leprechauns, or whatever, telling her what was to come. She spoke of her death…MY death, even YOUR death. To put it honestly, she was scaring the shit out of me. I had to leave. I wasn’t going to let her bring me down with her. I came back to the states, got married and had a kid.”



That’s too bad for them. Buffy thought.



“And your wife, she knows about your indiscretions?” William asked.



“Yes, I suppose she knows,” Angel replied.



“Then why is she still with you?” Buffy asked, snidely.



“Honestly, I don’t know. I suppose she loves me. And she stays with me for our son, Conner,” Angel answered honestly. “I’m not a nice man. I know that. I screw people over for a living. How do you think I live with myself everyday? It’s not like I can ever leave Master Incorporated. My father-in-law would fucking kill me."



“Well, that’s your problem,” William said, and then turned to Buffy. “Let’s go. I’m done with this whole scene.”



“All right with me.” Buffy and William left Angel’s room hand in hand, leaving their painful pasts where they belonged.



As they got into their car, William turned in his seat. “Marry me?”



“What?” She asked, not quite sure she'd heard him properly.



“Marry me. We can drive to Vegas, get married and then spend a few days on honeymoon."



“Are you serious?”



“Dead serious. Let’s go home, get what we need, and go.”



Buffy smiled, excitedly wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”



“Then let’s go.”



******************************************

They pulled up in front of their place. There were lights on in their second floor apartment.



“The lights are on,” Buffy thought out loud.



“We probably forgot to turn them off,” William said as they got out of their car.



“Maybe you’re right.”



As they got closer to their door, they saw that it was opened. William looked at her, worried. “Stay out here, love.”



“Okay."



William opened the door, peered inside, making sure that there wasn’t anyone in there, and walked inside.



“Bloody hell,” William cursed, looking around the living room and dining area.



The place was a mess. Paintings and pictures ruined. Glass all over. The couch cushions were cut and the stuffing torn out. The chairs were thrown through the glass patio doors. He then went into the bedroom. Drawers were dumped out. Clothes all over the place. His pants had the crotches missing in them. Above their bed, there was a message scrawled on the wall in red paint. ‘You are mine, William, now and forever.’ He noticed a picture of him and Buffy in the middle of the floor. Buffy’s head had been cut out, and replaced with Harmony’s.



Buffy was starting to feel nervous out there in the hall, so she went inside. When she saw how her home had been vandalized, she began to cry. She'd worked so hard to make it beautiful and someone had come in and just ruined it all.



William picked up the picture and sighed deeply. “That is it.” He turned abruptly and threw the picture against the wall.



Buffy heard the crash from their bedroom and ran down the hall.





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