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Author's Chapter Notes:
I can't tell you how good it feels to be back in the swing of things! I want to give a HUGE thanks to my WONDERFUL beta Gotkona (Vicki) who has been my right arm in this one and pushing me to quit being a big baby and post already, LOL! Thanks sweets, you are the absolute best!!!!!!


As always I own nada and I'm just having a bit of fun so don't get all crazy on me.
CH 2

William pulled into his father’s driveway and turned off the ignition. Sunnydale hadn’t changed a bit. The ride through town was like going back in time. The small coffee shop he used to go to every morning before school was still there and even the small club that he and his friends used to frequent every Friday night was still up and running. Yeah it was nice to see that some things never change.


William stretched as he got out of the car. He noticed Kennedy was still in the car fast asleep. Careful not to scare her, he ducked his head in the driver’s side door and called out to her softly.


“Hey nibblet, we’re here.”


Kennedy opened her eyes groggily and let out a yawn.


Spike couldn’t help but find her absolutely adorable, even if she did drive him bug shaggin’ crazy half the time.


Kennedy hopped out of the car and ran to greet her grandfather who was now standing on his porch.


“Grandpa!” she squealed excitedly as she jumped into his arms.


Rupert Giles stood and smiled brightly as his beautiful granddaughter came bounding toward him. With an ‘umph’, he hugged her tightly in his arms and kissed her on the cheek.


“My goodness look how you’ve grown,” Giles observed as he placed his granddaughter on her feet.


Kennedy held out her arms for her grandfather’s inspection. “Almost a whole three inches since Christmas,” she informed him proudly.


“Why you’re practically a young lady now aren’t you?”


“Yep,” Kennedy agreed with a nod.


“Don’t let her looks fool you,” William teased as he walked over to his father.


“William,” Giles replied as he took in his son’s appearance.


He was still bleaching his hair that awful platinum color, but you could tell that it had been awhile since he had last had it done by the dark roots that were now showing. His face was much thinner than the last time he had seen his son and his cheekbones were more pronounced from weight lose, but all in all, he looked well.


“How about a hug for your ol’ Da’?” Giles asked.


William walked over to his father and embraced him in a masculine hug.


“You look good Da’,” William commented as he patted his father’s shoulders.


“As do you son. So tell me, how was your trip down here?” he asked his son as he ushered them in the door.


William walked in the door and inhaled deeply. He loved the way his father’s house smelled. It was a mixture of English breakfast tea, his father’s aftershave, and a small hint of something that was distinctly his mother. It had been almost fifteen years since his mother had lived in that house, but it was still there, just lingering under the surface.


“I won tickets to go and see Blue tomorrow Grandpa,” Kennedy informed her grandfather excitedly.


“Did you now,” Giles commented sounding somewhat nervous. He knew that the band would be in town this weekend and had hoped that it would go unnoticed by not only his granddaughter, but his son as well.


“Yeah Da, backstage passes and all,” William added giving his father a look that said he had questions that needed to be answered.


“Well that sounds lovely Kennedy. Why don’t you go get washed up and you and I can go and get some ice cream, how’s that sound?” Giles asked the excited seven-year-old.


Without even answering, Kennedy ran off to the bathroom to wash up.


As soon as Giles was sure the little girl was out of sight, he turned to look at his son. “William let me explain,” he tried but was cut off by a very brassed off William.


“You knew all this time and never told me,” he accused his father.


Giles knew he had some explaining to do. With a heavy sigh, he sat down on the arm of his easy chair.


“Right after you left for England, she just up and left. No one knew where she had gone for the longest time. Her mother assumed it was to New York, but we never knew for sure. Her mother was worried sick about her and was almost at the point of just giving up when one day she finally got a phone call saying that she had finally made it and that she was getting the chance to live out her dreams as a singer, just like she had planned.” He could see the hurt written all over his son’s face. It had been eight years since that awful night when his son gave up his whole world to make the one person he loved the most happy.


William closed his eyes and fought back the tears that threatened to spill. He had pushed all his memories away for so long and now they were invading his mind as if no time had passed at all. It had taken him years to come to grips with the fact that she was really gone.


Shaking his head, William opened his eyes and looked at his father. “It doesn’t matter anymore, she’s gone to me,” he stated resolutely.


“But William she’s-,” but he was cut off yet again.


“No Da’, she gone. She’s no longer the girl I fell in love with. She proved that the day she told me that she had to go and find herself and that it didn’t involve me,” he stated, letting all the hurt that he had been bottling up for so long come to the surface.


Giles nodded his head and left it at that. There was no use in pushing his son to go over the past if he was determined to try and forget it. Hearing the heavy footsteps of an excited little girl, Giles turned and smiled brightly.


“All ready?”


“Yep,” Kennedy agreed and then turned to her mournful looking uncle. “Uncle Will are you gonna come with us?”


“Not tonight ducks, think I’m just gonna call it a night,” he replied in a distant tone.


“Take me to pick up my tickets tomorrow?” she asked hopefully.


“Sure thing,” he agreed, smiling as best as he could.


Kennedy walked over and wrapped her arms around her uncle’s waist. “Goodnight Uncle Will, I love you.”


William picked up his niece, gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek. “Love you too sweet pea, I’ll see you in the morning.”


William put her down on her feet and watched as his father and niece walked out the door and to his father’s car.


Letting out a ragged breath, he closed his eyes and willed himself not to think about the girl that had broken his heart all those years ago. But he knew, deep down inside, that was something that would just never happen.

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


William woke up and rolled over to look at the alarm clock. It was only seven o’clock. For some reason even when he wasn’t working, he managed to get up before eight.


Not quite ready to face his father’s line of questioning, he decided to go for a run. Nothing like a good jog to get the blood flowin’.


Throwing on a pair of running shorts and his tennis shoes, William left out of the backdoor unnoticed and headed down the street.


He found himself somehow standing in front of her mother’s house. He didn’t actually remember jogging there, he was just there. Panting slightly, he stood there with his hands on his hips just staring at the old house that had once been his second home.


There wasn’t a memory that didn’t involve this house. When his parents had gotten divorced, he had all but moved in and now here he was eight years later standing in the same spot where his whole world had fallen apart.


Joyce Summers walked out of her front door and nearly fell over from shock. She had to blink several times to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Hesitantly, she walked down the steps and stood in front of the man she hadn’t seen in almost eight years.


“William?” she asked disbelievingly.


William looked the woman that had been a second mother to him in the eyes and smiled.


“Joyce.”


“What are you doing here?” Joyce asked still in awe.


William took a deep breath. “Well I guess I’m here to see my wife.”






Big thanks to gotkona, lacey, Nicki, Kimber, Whitelighter354, Brat, SarahandJamesFanatic, and MidnightGirl for the encouraging reviews! I can't tell you how much it means to me; you're all such doll babies! Kuddos!





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