A/N: In chapter two I made a typo. William and Buffy are four years apart not two. My beta picked up on this mistake and I just wanted to clear it up with all of my readers. Hopefully I haven't confused to many people. Well on with this chapter.
ttyl
bcdspuffy
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Chapter 8
Revealing the Past
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Buffy sat in the living room, listening as everyone joked around. It seemed weird to sit here laughing and enjoying life, like it was just another day. It wasn't just another day, her sister had died. She felt that they should be mourning her, but that didn't seem right either. She was just so confused about all this, what she did know though was that Faith would have wanted them to move ahead with their own lives, even if it was without her.
Buffy suddenly wondered if Faith was watching down on them right now, and laughing along with them. Buffy couldn't help the smile that spread across her face with the thought of what Faith must have thought of her being thrown over William's shoulder. As she refocused on the conversation, she heard her mother explaining the history of the bloody sundae.
"By the time I had caught on that William was using the word 'bloody', my girls were too. So I outlawed the word; at least here in the house. Faith seemed to stop using it pretty quickly, but Buffy had come accustomed to using it. She kept getting grounded every couple of days because of it. Anyway, this went on for a couple of weeks, and Buffy slowly stopped using the word. It was about a month later, and William had shown up to drop Tara off at the slumber party for that weekend."
Buffy caught a movement by the door and looked over in that direction. There, standing in the shadows was William. She silently stood up and walked over to him.
"So where are the sundaes?"
"I figured the explanation might take a bit of time. So, instead of letting the ice cream melt, while everyone listened to your mom tell about our youth, I thought I'd just wait till she got closer to the end of the story before I served the ice cream."
Buffy just smiled. She couldn't help wondering how a night that had started out so badly had turned out so well. She turned around and refocused on her mother's voice. As the story continued to wash over her, Buffy leaned back against William. His arms quickly snaked their way around her waist and held her closer to him. She couldn't stop the sigh of happiness that slipped through her lips though, as she took in the comfort of being in his arms.
"So William saved her butt from another grounding by yelling out 'Yeah, Mrs. Summers, see it's a bloody sundae', as he drenched the ice cream in strawberry syrup. I don't think Buffy ever said the word again."
Buffy could feel the warmth as a blush took over her cheeks, and her friends all started snickering. She also felt William lean his head down next to her ear.
"Should I tell her how many times I know you've used the word?"
Buffy could hear the chuckle in his lowered whisper. She felt her cheeks flush again. Buffy wasn't sure if that came from her embarrassment, or the fact that the low pitch of William's voice had sounded so sexy. She quickly saved herself from prying questions. "Yes, well that was my youth. Now I'm going to go help William with those sundaes." She turned then and headed towards the kitchen. She knew that she had told William she wouldn't help but it was better then being questioned about why she was blushing.
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Willow stood on the front porch watching her brother. She had watched him slip out of the living room soon after the ice cream had been served. He had been quiet all night and she just couldn't figure out what had been going on with him. Quiet and Xander were two very unmixy things. She watched as he seemed to be talking to himself and then suddenly he just plopped on the ground and laid there. After five minutes or more and he hadn't moved she got worried. She silently walked towards him, so it startled her when he spoke.
"Willow I know your there. What do you want?"
Willow could hear a sorrow in his voice that she hadn't heard in a long time. She had wondered what would bring this on, but wasn't sure if it was in her place to ask him. She sat down next to him and started to pull out blades of grass. Willow hoped that Xander would just start talking like he used to do when they were kids. As the minutes passed by though, she realized it wouldn't be that easy this time.
"You want to talk about it?" she asked quietly.
He turned his head towards her and that is when she realized that he had been crying. "Not really. It's something I have to deal with on my own."
"Why?"
"Because I just do, and this is none of your business so just leave it be." His voice had slowly risen as he had spoken.
Willow could take a hint, but it hurt that he had been so short with her. "I'm sorry I just wanted to know how I could fix whatever was troubling you."
She watched him stand straight and harden his shoulders. "Willow, there are just some things you can't fix, okay? Listen, I'm going to go for a walk. See if someone can take you home. I'll see you in the morning if not before. I have some thinking to do." With that said, Xander walked away from Willow.
She just couldn't figure out what was wrong with her brother. She let the tears that formed in her eyes fall down her cheeks. They started to tickle her nose, where they were congregating, so she quickly rubbed them away. Willow wished she could fix all of this. The worlds of both her friends and family were slowly falling apart, and she couldn't figure out what she could do to fix it. Willow calmed herself down and decided to go back inside the house and find someone to take her home. As she walked through the door, she saw William first.
"Hey William, do you think you can take me home?"
"Yeah, sure Red, but where's the whelp?"
"I'm not sure. He wouldn't tell me where he was going. He seemed to be hurting but wouldn't talk to me." William looked at her quizzically. She knew that he had picked up on the hurt in her voice, so she quickly side stepped the whole thing. "So you can take me home then?"
"Yeah when you wanna leave?"
"Now would be good if you can."
He nodded his head. "Yeah. Let me tell Buffy so she doesn't worry."
"Sure."
Willow went to the closet to retrieve her coat while William walked back towards the kitchen.
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William wasn't sure what had occurred between Xander and Willow outside, but he knew that Willow had been hurt. He wondered what had happened but figured he'd not pry unless she talked to him. William walked into the kitchen and found Buffy standing at the sink, washing the bowls that had been used for the sundaes.
"Hey. I gotta take Willow home. You going to be okay while I'm gone?"
Buffy turned to him and gave him a perturbed look. "William, I'm not completely helpless. Although I haven't been in the best of moods here lately, I can take care of myself. So, yes, I will be fine while you're gone." Her tone was patronizing and William knew that he couldn't talk himself out of this. So he just didn't say anything. He watched Buffy's facial _expression and tone go from angry to inquiring. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"No. I figured I'd let you rant and then I'd just do this…." He quickly pulled her to him and placed his lips upon hers before she could protest. She leaned into him as the kiss deepened. Soon he had to pull back to breathe and she leaned her head against his chest.
"I thought we were on hold?"
"Just reminding you what you're holding for." He tried to give her his best smirk and then he turned to leave. He did tell her though that he'd be back within the hour before he left.
When William returned to the front door, Willow stood there already in her coat. "You tell Buffy where you're going?"
"Yeah, you ready?"
"Uh huh."
He could tell that she was distracted by her thoughts again, so he just opened the door and let her lead the way. As Willow approached the end of the sidewalk, she walked right past the De Soto. "Hey Red, you missed the car."
"No I didn't. I figured we could walk, okay?"
William noticed Willow's behavior for what it was. She wanted to talk, so he agreed and stepped in line beside her. After about three blocks, he remembered why he didn't normally agree to walk to Xander's apartment. Willow had lived with her brother for awhile now. She had started by just showing up some nights when her parents being drunk just gotten to be too much. Ever since turning eighteen the previous February, she had moved into his guest bedroom, at least until she left for college later in the year. They had another two blocks to go, so he knew that she would start talking soon. He was right.
"William, does Xander tell you everything?"
"Not everything, but he tells me enough. Why do you ask?"
"Well he was acting all far away-ey tonight and I can't figure out what is wrong with him?"
Although this was supposed to be a serious conversation, William couldn't help the chuckle that slipped through his lips. "Did you hear what you just said?" Before she could answer, he continued. "I truly know that you have been hanging around Buffy too much." Willow left out a slight giggle too, but the feeling wasn't behind it. "So he's been acting distant then, right?"
"Yeah and he won't tell me what is bothering him. He says it's none of my business and that I can't fix everything."
"Well he's right about that. You can't fix everything. Some things guys just have to work out on their own. It could just be something that he can't talk about with you."
"Well, could you talk to him?"
"Me?" he asked "Nuh uh. Xander tells me things when he is ready. I don't go asking."
"Please?" Willow's face was sporting a pouty look that William knew he couldn't refuse. He knew Willow knew that too.
"Fine I'll talk to him, but if he asks, I'm telling him you sent me. Now come on. I'm taking you home before your pout gets me into any more trouble."
Willow's face brightened with a smile. "Thank you so much! You won't regret helping me."
"You're welcome. Now let's get you home." Under his breath, William began muttering about women and their pouts.
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Buffy was completing the task of putting away the clean dishes as her mother walked through the kitchen door.
"So where is Giles?" Buffy asked.
"He decided to step outside for a bit."
Buffy noticed her mother's nervousness but dismissed it, figuring it couldn't be anything that important. "So mom, when were actually planning on telling us that you and Giles had become a thing?"
"We had planned on telling you last week; but then this whole thing came up. It just didn't seem like the right time to reveal that Rupert and I were dating." Buffy nodded her head in the affirmative, and continued putting dishes away. "Buffy… speaking of getting things out in the open… we need to talk. Will you come and sit down with me?"
Buffy watched as her mother pulled a stool away from the island and sat down. Buffy wasn't sure what was going on, but she could tell that it was serious. Her mother had the same look on her face when she told Buffy about the divorce between herself and Hank, all those years ago. Buffy had stopped calling him dad a long time ago. She just couldn't stomach calling that man by any name that would elevate him to a place of importance in her life. He was never there for her through all these years, and she didn't see the sense in calling him something that he'd never been to her. Buffy was getting worried though, because that look normally meant life altering changes. Buffy felt she'd had enough of them lately. "Mom, what's wrong? You're worrying me."
"Honey, I have to tell you something and it's very important. I need you to listen to the whole story, so please don't go running out of here." By the end of the sentence, Buffy could hear the anguish and pleading in her mother's voice so she agreed.
"Buffy you're not my biological daughter."
The moment those words came out of her mother's mouth, Buffy knew that she couldn't have run away, even if she had wanted to. She was paralyzed by the shock of the statement. "What do you mean you're not my mother?"
"Buffy please listen to what I have to say and then you can ask questions, okay?"
Buffy must have nodded or gave her approval in some way because her mother, no not her mother - Joyce -- continued.
"Faith was four years old when I found out Hank had been cheating on me. I had started noticing small things. At first I truly thought he was just working hard, but when he missed Faith's birthday, I became angry and went searching for him at the office. I found him all right; with his secretary, on the floor of his office. I later learned that he had been cheating on me for awhile. I hadn't known what to do at first but I knew that I couldn't live with a man who had cheated on me. So I left with Faith for about a month before Hank had talked me into moving back, with a promise never to cheat again. It was about six months after that though when I found out about you."
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*Flashback*
Tringggggggg, tringggggggg, tringggggggg.
"Mrs. Summers I'll get that. You go sit down." Trina said.
Joyce could never seem to get used to having servants. If she was truthful, it twisted her gut every time she allowed them do something for her. She had always prided herself on doing things on her own. Now she had servants doing everything for her, even when she didn't want them to. She decided to listen though; she wasn't in the mood for another fight with Hank tonight. Joyce would have continued heading for the living room if she hadn't caught the sound of a sob coming from the direction of the front door.
"Trina who is it?"
"Nothing for you to worry about, Mrs. Summers. Just someone trying to sell something."
There was a sharp reply to Trina's statement from the individual on the other side of the door. "No! I'm not trying to sell something. I'm trying to see Mrs. Summers! It's important!"
Joyce wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew the sound of pain when she heard it. She instructed Trina to wait a moment and headed in the direction of the foyer.
"But Mrs. Summers, Mr. Summers gave me strict instructions not to let this women talk to anyone in the house."
"Well Trina right now I don't care. Let the girl in and I will decide for myself whether or not I want to talk to her. As for what Mr. Summers said, well let's put it this way, I will talk to him later." Trina escorted the young woman into the house. She was dressed in a denim skirt and a black tank top. Her hair flowed straight and stopped right below her shoulders, and her hazel eyes had become bloodshot from crying. Joyce suddenly realized that not only did the woman look familiar, she also noticed that the woman was very definitely pregnant.
"Mrs. Summers, I'm sorry to bother you but I had to try. You are my last hope."
"Yes, well, come in and sit down. You must be tired of standing. Do I know you from somewhere? You look familiar."
"I'm sure I do, but I doubt if you'll like the answer to that question." Joyce waved her hand for the woman to continue with her story. "I was your husband's secretary at one time." The woman stopped talking after that to allow Joyce time to put two and two together.
Joyce realized that this had been the woman on the floor with her husband seven months before. Joyce assumed that she knew what had happened, but she wanted confirmation from the woman. "First I want to know your name and then would you please explain why you're here?"
"Yes, I'm sorry I should have given you my name before I even said anything. My name is Eve. I know you probably don't want to hear this but I'm sorry for what I did. I don't expect you to forgive me or anything; but all I ask is for a few minutes of your time."
Joyce nodded for Eve to continue, and she told Joyce everything. By the end of the story, Joyce understood that Eve was just a naïve young woman who had gotten herself into trouble and didn't know what to do. Joyce contemplated how she could help, but wasn't sure what she could do.
"Mrs. Summers, all I ask is that you talk to Hank. I can't take care of this baby, but I couldn't have an abortion like he told me to."
If there had been one part of this entire mess that pissed Joyce off the most, it was that. She had never felt abortion was right, and Hank even knew that. "What is it you would like me to do?"
"I don't want my baby growing up not knowing her real family, even if it is someone like Hank. I realize it would be easier if I could raise her, but I can't. I tried to explain this to Hank but he told me he had given me my only choice. You were my last option. I will put the baby up for adoption if I have to, but I figured I'd talk to you first. I don't even know if you can do anything or would even want to, but I had to try."
Joyce could understand where the young woman was coming from, but she wasn't sure what she could do about it. She explained to Eve that she would think it over and get back to her.
Joyce had waited until Hank came home and then confronted him. The conversation had gone from bad to worse as they talked and yelled. At one point, Faith had walked in wondering what was going on. Joyce had taken her back to bed and explained it was just a simple disagreement between her parents. Faith had kissed Joyce on the cheek and said "I love you mommy, night."
That's when Joyce had been hit with an idea. "Hank, I want to adopt the baby."
"No! I refuse to do that! I told that woman what she could do with that baby and I meant it!"
Once again, Joyce became infuriated with her husband. "Hank, let me put it this in a way even you can understand. You will accept that baby and take responsibility, or I will make sure Eve has access to the best lawyer money can buy."
"Lawyer for what?"
"Well, she'll need child support to raise the little one, won't she? Believe me Hank, I will make your life as miserable as you've made mine these last few months. Oh, and by the way, Cindy called the house. You want to know what she said?"
Joyce watched as her husband's face turned ashen at the revelation that she was not only aware that her husband had yet another mistress but that she also knew her name! Joyce had become aware of Hank's latest conquest when she called the house and thought that Joyce was the maid! This “Cindy” had wanted to reschedule a date she had with Hank to another night because she had to go out of town. Joyce had contemplated leaving Hank again even then, but had decided to wait until she had talked to Hank about it. She had hoped that he had a good excuse; however, his face told her everything she needed to know. He had cheated on her. Again. "Hank, I think you should think about what I just said, and then let me know."
It hadn't taken long for Hank to agree. Joyce had even gone as far as to invite Eve to stay at the house until the baby was born. Eve had declined the offer, explaining that not only would it be awkward, but that she had already caused enough trouble. She had promised to call them as soon as she went into labor.
On January 19, 1982 Buffy Anne Summers was born. As Joyce held the little baby girl in her arms, she knew she had done the right thing. Joyce then went to see how Eve was doing, but learned she was discharged from the hospital earlier in the day, and had left.
*End Flashback*
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