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Author's Chapter Notes:
Okay I was reading over the reviews and I am floored by how much thought y'all put into them! I know there are still alot of questions to be answered but I promise all in due time. Well enjoy! Kuddos! **Disclaimer in chapter 1**
Buffy rolled over in the bed and looked at the clock. It was almost five-thirty in the morning and she still hadn’t fallen asleep.


She had stayed up arguing with Lindsey most of the night until he finally just gave in and apologized for whatever was wrong, regardless if it was his fault or not. She had been so tired that she let it go and just forgave him so she could go to bed.


Buffy rolled back over and watched as Lindsey slept peacefully next to her. She felt a pang of guilt hit her out of nowhere. It felt wrong to be sharing a bed with Lindsey now that she had seen and talked to William, like she was somehow betraying him.


Shit, who was she kidding; she was betraying him in every sense off the word. She was sharing a bed with another man, had been for over five years now. She had made a promise to William that for better or worse she would stick by him and what had she done but ran off the first time things didn’t go her way.


Buffy closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry. She had to leave, had to get out of that bed, out of that hotel room before she went insane.


Quietly Buffy got out of bed, careful not to wake Lindsey, grabbed her tennis shoes, sweat jacket, and slipped out the door to her mother’s house. At least there she wouldn’t feel as guilty, or would she?



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



William felt the morning’s rays on his face and cracked an eye. Bloody hell, where the fuck was he? Sitting up slowly he grabbed at his throbbing head and took in his surroundings. He was still parked up on Pinnacle Point on the trunk of his car.


“Bugger,” he grumbled as he rubbed his sleep-filled eyes and slid off the trunk. When his feet hit the ground and he stood up straight he felt nausea take over as his stomach began to churn.


“Oh bloody hell,” he groaned just before he doubled over and threw up at his feet. Once he had emptied the entire contents of his stomach, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, panting heavily. Yep, Jack was no friend of his this morning.


When William was sure his stomach wasn’t going to rebel against him again, he stood up and groaned. His head felt like it might explode at any second and he couldn’t help but think it would be a welcome relief because anything was better than the way he felt right now.


Swallowing hard, he grimaced at the awful taste in his mouth. Wanting nothing more than a good shower and a toothbrush, he stepped around his pile of puke to get in his car.


William dug his keys out of his pocket and caught sight of his shoes. Apparently, when he threw up, he didn’t completely miss his feet. “Oh now that’s just bloody nasty,” he groaned in disgust. He was definitely not wearing those things in his precious Desoto.


With what little grace William could muster, he took off his boots, threw them in the trunk, and headed home where he knew his father would be waiting for him and expecting some sort of explanation as to his whereabouts the night before.



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



Buffy snuck in the backdoor of her mother’s house with the stealth like expertise she had mastered from sneaking in so many times in her younger days. She closed the door and nearly jumped out of her skin when a deep voice sounded in the quiet kitchen.


“Morning Buffy.”


Buffy whipped around and glared at her older brother. “Jesus Angel, are you trying to give me a fucking heart attack!” she hissed angrily as her heart thumped rapidly in her chest.


Angel let out a small chuckle and sat down at the breakfast table. “Sorry Buff, but I didn’t think you would freak like that,” he apologized not feeling remorseful at all.


Buffy put her hand over her chest and took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves. “You didn’t think sneaking up on me wouldn’t scare the piss out me?” she asked dryly and then furrowed her brow. “What are you doing up anyways, it’s only a little after six?” she asked taking a seat across from him at the table.


Angel took a sip from the coffee cup he had in his hand and then looked up at his little sister. “Still on eastern time. My clock says it’s after nine,” he explained as he put his cup down.


Buffy nodded her head knowingly and then shrugged. “So how are Cordy and the boys?”


“Good, Cordy wanted me to tell you she was sorry she couldn’t make it, but the boys had school and the doctor said she shouldn’t fly this close to her due date,” Angel replied.


Buffy waved him off. “Tell her not to worry about it, I totally understand.”


Buffy had known Cordilea Chase since she was in grade school and she wasn’t exactly known for being the nicest of people. When Angel started dating Cordy, Buffy had tolerated her for Angel’s sake, but after Angel and Cordy graduated she had actually grown to like her once Cordy realized there was life after high school.


Cordy was the one that Buffy had confided in when she had first left William, she had been her shoulder to cry on so to speak. Cordy had assured her everything would eventually be okay and that no matter what she would always be there for Buffy if and when she needed her. After that Buffy would always and forever be indebted to her sister-n-law.


“That’s was some concert last night,” Angel commented with an underlying tone. He was wondering how long it would take his sister to tell him about William showing up.


“Yeah the crowd was awesome,” Buffy replied ignorantly. She knew Angel was talking about William, but she wasn’t ready to get into it with her brother just yet. She was well aware how Angel felt about the whole William situation because he made his opinion more than apparent on several different occasions.


When Angel had first found out that Buffy was dating William he was furious. He had all but threatened Buffy with her life if she didn’t stop seeing him. When Buffy had told him to stick it up his ass, he stormed out of the house to look for his best friend so he could thoroughly kick his ass.


Angel didn’t have to go far to find William because he was at the door coming to see Buffy. With rage in his eyes, Angel pushed William off the front porch and into the yard, pummeling him with everything he had. William quickly recovered and returned Angel’s punches without questioning why. All he knew was that it was defend or get the shit beat out of him.


Buffy ran to the front door and screamed for her mother. When Joyce saw the two boys in her front yard beating one another within an inch of their lives, she broke things up and stepped between them demanding to know what the hell was going on.


Angel had yelled something about William being a sick bastard and taking advantage of his little sister and William yelled back about Angel being a fucking wanker who just attacked him for no reason.


Joyce had dragged them both inside, madder than a wet hen, by their ears and forced them to sit on the couch and talk things out like human beings and not some caged up animals.


Things were strained between Angel and William after that until William went to Angel and told him he wanted to ask his permission to marry Buffy. Angel knew William could have gone to his father, Hank, but had instead come to him to make sure he approved because his opinion mattered more to him than Hank’s.


Angel gave his sister a pointed look. “Buffy you know I’m not talking about the crowd.”


Buffy let out an exasperated sigh. “What do you want me to say Angel. Yes, Will was there and yes, we talked, but it doesn’t matter.” Buffy stated matter of factly.


“And why is that?” Angel asked curiously.


Buffy let William’s hurtful words play through her mind. Your papers should be in the mail by Monday. Buffy physically shuddered; they still sent chills down her spine.


“Why? Because William wants a divorce,” Buffy stated flatly.


Angel sat in stunned silence. Never in a million years would he have thought he would hear those words come out of Buffy’s mouth. He had always hoped that Buffy would one day come back to her senses and figure out that she was wrong for leaving her husband and go back to him, but now he knew that was just never going to happen.


“Well I wasn’t expecting that,” Angel admitted in a stunned voice.


Buffy looked at her brother with sad eyes and murmured dejectedly, “Yeah, neither was I.”


“I’m sorry Buffy,” Angel tried to sooth his sister. Sure, he didn’t agree with the way Buffy had handled her marriage, but he hated to see his sister so upset.


Buffy blinked back her tears and gave Angel a weak smile. “Not your fault. I’m the one who left him so I shouldn’t be that surprised,” Buffy replied trying to sound casual but deep down inside she was dying. It killed her to think that William was really letting her go.


Angel just sat there unsure of what to say. He couldn’t argue with her. It was Buffy’s choice to leave and find her dreams; she couldn’t expect William to wait around for her forever.


Angel’s lack of sympathy stung Buffy more than she could have ever imagined. Letting out a heavy sigh, she stood up from the table. “I’m gonna go lay down for awhile. I didn’t get much sleep last night so I’ll talk to you later Angel.”


“Alright Buff, I’ll tell mom that you’re here but to let you rest,” Angel replied with a nod of his head. Buffy nodded appreciatively and went to her room upstairs.


Angel watched as his sister walked away looking so broken. He hated to see her like this but couldn’t help but not feel sorry for her. She had brought this on herself, but because he was her brother and he loved her, he was going to see what he could do to fix it.


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



William stumbled in the backdoor with dirty boots in hand. The fact that his father was standing there with a menacing look on his face hadn’t even fazed him. All he wanted to do was take a shower and go to bed ‘til it was time for him to go back to LA.


Giles had waited up for his son all night until he finally fell asleep still sitting at the breakfast table. When he had heard the sound of the very loud Desoto pull in the drive, he forced himself to wake up so he could interrogate his son as to where the hell he had been all night.


William blatantly walked past his father with no intention of talking to him. He was in no mood to get into why he never came home.


Giles scrunched his nose in disgust as William passed by him with his dirty shoes in hand. “Dear Lord William what is that smell?!” Giles gasped as he covered his nose and fought the urge to gag.


William shrugged his shoulders and turned to look at his father. “Puked on m’shoes,” he replied bluntly and continued to walk out of the kitchen to the bathroom.


Giles stood up completely flabbergasted. Did William just say he threw up on his shoes? Bringing himself back to his task of finding out what was going on; he followed William to the bathroom but was met with a door in the face.


“William open this door,” he demanded as he knocked on the closed door. When he was met with silence, he pounded harder on the door and bellowed, “William I demand you open this door at once.”


William dropped his boots on the floor and striped himself of his clothes, ignoring the beating on the door. He grabbed at his head which was beginning to ache again from the incessant banging and turned on the shower. He would just have to tune his father out with the sound of the running water.


When Giles heard the sound of the shower, he fought the urge to give the door a swift kick. His son could still manage to bring out the Ripper from his younger delinquent days out in seconds flat.


Kennedy walked out of her room rubbing her eyes. “What’s all the fuss about?” she whined sleepily.


Giles turned his attention to his obviously knackered granddaughter and let out a sigh. “Kennedy I’m sorry if I woke you, please just go back to bed,” he apologized.


Kennedy looked at the closed bathroom door and then back to her grandfather. “Uncle Will must be home,” she commented knowingly.


Giles pinched the bridge of his nose and removed his glasses to clean them absently. “Kennedy please just go back and lie down,” he pleaded. He really didn’t want his granddaughter to have to see or hear the confrontation that was going to happen between him and his son.


Kennedy turned to her room and let out a yawn. “He must be in trouble too,” she mumbled as she shut her door.


Giles turned and glared at the shut bathroom door. “Oh he’s more than in trouble.”


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


Buffy tossed and turned in fitful sleep. Even though she was in the safety of her old bed she still couldn’t’ find the rest she so desperately needed. She had been fighting sleep for over five hours now and it was almost noon. She was sure that if she checked her phone there would be fifty-million messages from Lindsey waiting for her, wondering where the hell she had run off to, but that was something she would deal with later. Feeling her stomach begin to growl, Buffy got up and decided to go downstairs to grab something to eat.


When she walked in the kitchen, she saw her mother and Angel talking in hushed tones. Buffy cleared her throat to make her presence known and they both looked up at her with guilty looks on their faces.


“Talking about me huh?” she accused with a raised brow.


Joyce quickly got up and hugged her daughter. “We’re just worried about you sweetie,” she explained.


Buffy pulled from her mothers arms and gave her a fake smile. “Mom I’ll be fine,’” she assured her mother. She wasn’t quite sure if she was trying to convince her mother or herself.


Joyce squeezed her daughter’s shoulder affectionately. “I’m here if you need anything Buffy.”



“I could use some food,” Buffy replied trying to change the subject.


Joyce smiled. “Of course. How about I make you your favorite? Peanut butter and banana sandwiches,” she suggested.


Buffy rolled her eyes playfully. “Mom that was my favorite when I was like five,” she reminded. Her mother still thought of her as the little girl she was so long ago.


Angel let out a laugh. Buffy turned and scowled at her brother as she smacked him on the arm. “What are you laughing at?”


“Nothing, it’s just that’s the kinda stuff Cordy makes for the boys,” he explained through his laughter.


“Mom I’ll just have a ham sandwich,” Buffy said irritably as she smacked at her brother again.


Angel continued to laugh as he flinched away from Buffy. “Hey quit,” Angel chuckled as he swatted back at Buffy.


Joyce watched as her two children picked at one another back and forth. How she missed having her kids at home. With a small chuckle, she took out the things for Buffy’s sandwich and fixed her lunch.


Buffy finished her sandwich and let out a contented sigh. This was the first time in she couldn’t say how long she had had a real meal. Sure it was just a sandwich, but it wasn’t junk food or something that came out of a wrapper.


“Thanks Mom for the sandwich,” Buffy said gratefully as she rubbed her full stomach.


“You’re welcome dear,” Joyce replied as she put away the dishes in the sink.


Angel looked over at Buffy and scrunched his brow. “You’re full from just that small sandwich?” he asked disbelievingly.


Buffy grinned and reached over and poked Angel’s slightly larger waistline. “Not all of us eat like a horse, fatty,” she teased.


Angel frowned at his little sister and pulled away from her prodding finger. “I’m not fat,” he defended and than turned and poked her in her side. “Hey Buffy didn’t you hear the waif look is out,” he countered.


Buffy scowled at Angel. “I’m not that skinny,” she defended. “I’m just petite,” she added haughtily.


“Petite my ass, you’re just plain skinny,” Angel snorted.


Buffy turned to her mother. “Mom Angel’s picking on me,” she pouted like a whiney five year old.


Before Joyce could get a word out edgewise, Angel chimed in.


“She started it, she called me fat,” Angel grumbled childishly.


“And how old are you two again?” Joyce asked sarcastically as the phone rang. Without waiting for her children to make a smart remark, she went over and answered the phone.


“Hello... Oh! Hi Lindsey.”


Buffy and Angel continued to bicker among themselves until they heard who Joyce was talking to. Buffy quickly shut her mouth and turned to he mother shaking her head “no” vigorously.


Joyce rolled her eyes and turned her back to Buffy.


“Yes Buffy’s here…. Of course, you’re more than welcome to come by…. Uh huh, sure…okay Lindsey I’ll see you then…you too, bye.” Joyce hung up the phone and frowned at her daughter. “What?”


Buffy scowled. “Mom! What part of,” Buffy began to shake her head frantically, “did you not understand?”


“Buffy I’m not going to lie for you. If you don’t want to see Lindsey than you need to be a grown up and tell him yourself,” Joyce stated flatly.


Buffy let out a huff and then turned to Angel. “Angel I need to borrow your car for a little while.”



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



William was in his room packing his things to get ready to leave for LA. He was surprised to find his father wasn’t standing outside the bathroom door waiting for him when he came out from his shower. Not that he was complaining by any means, because he knew his father was right pissed off with him.


William zipped his overnight bag and took a quick glance around the room one last time to make sure he had everything before he walked out of his room and headed for the front door.


“Did you plan on leaving without even saying goodbye to your niece?” Giles asked coolly.


William let his shoulders sag. “No Da’, I was just putting my stuff in the car and then I was gonna come and say all my goodbyes,” he drawled in an exasperated tone.


“Fine we can talk while I walk outside with you,” Giles retorted still thoroughly irritated with his son.


William knew he wasn’t going to get to leave before his father got a chance to interrogate him, so he figured he might as well just get it done and over with.


“Alright, let’s talk.”


Giles followed William out the door. “Where were you last night?” he asked first.


“Went to Pinnacle Point, next,” he replied curtly.


“William,” Giles said in a warning tone.


William tossed his bag in his car and let out a frustrated sigh. “What Da’? You want me to tell you exactly what happened last night?”


“Yes,” Giles replied giving his undivided attention.


“Fine. I saw Buffy last night, we talked, I told her I wanted a divorce, went and got myself right pissed, woke up on the boot of m’car, puked on m’shoes, came home, the end,” he explained point-blank.


Giles stood silent, jaw slightly ajar, staring with wide eyes. He couldn’t believe his ears. What had caused his son to suddenly change his mind in filing for divorce?


William let out a sardonic snort. “Best close your gob da’, you’re libel to catch flies.”


Giles snapped his mouth shut and continued to stare at his son. “Oh dear Lord,” was all he could manage.


William shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, what’s done is done. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go say goodbye to my lil’sweetpea,” he commented offhandedly as he walked around his father into the house.


Giles turned and watched as his son walked away and wondered if his son was going to be able to yet again be able to pick up the pieces of his broken heart.


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


Buffy had gotten Angel’s keys and left not bothering to tell him or her mother where she was going, because in all honesty she hadn’t a clue.


She drove around aimlessly just taking in the sights of Sunnydale. She had to admit she missed her hometown; it had a sense of security about it, like it could keep you safe from the rest of the evil in the world.


Without even realizing it, she found herself in front of the small house that was her home for only a few short years. Getting out of the car, she walked up and peeked in the windows. It was like looking back in time and oh what she wouldn’t give to just go back and fix this awful mess that she had caused.


Buffy closed her eyes and blinked back the tears as the familiar sound of a Desoto pulled up behind her. I guess she wasn’t the only one going down memory lane.






Thanks to spuffette, kristina, Kimber x3, LOL!, aspikefan, DaniD, cee, Brat, cordykitten, frederique, MidnightGirl, spikestheman, Smitten, Nicki, Raspy_Luv x2, chrissnicole, and chrissnicole for the amazing reviews! I love y'all to bits! Kuddos!





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