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Chapter 15

Buffy awoke slowly, still feeling drowsy. She yawned and stretched carefully, mindful that Ella was in bed with her still. She could hear her little niece breathing softly and then – snoring?

Eyes flying open, Buffy sat up and looked over to find William nestled in bed with them, a small content smile on his handsome face. He was also fully dressed except for his feet.

Not wanting to wake Ella, Buffy turned to crawl out of bed when his voice stopped her.

“Where you going?” he asked groggily.

She stared at him, still not able to process the fact that he was in bed with them. “What are you doing?”

He blinked, “What do you mean?”

She gestured to the bed, “Do you see where you—were you drinking? Are you still drunk?”

He looked down sheepishly, “I had been, but I –“

“Jesus, William. What is going on with you?”

“Can we—while she’s?” William said, gesturing to Ella.

Sighing and nodding, Buffy climbed out of bed, placed her pillow about two inches from Ella, and made her way out into the hall. William followed suit, doing the same to his pillow, and kept the door open so they could keep an eye on Ella in case she rolled or woke up.

“Buffy, I’m sorry.”

Buffy looked up at him, noting the sadness and the honesty in his eyes. She folded her arms across her chest. “What is it you’re exactly sorry for?”

“For the way I reacted yesterday when I came home and...”

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Buffy said, motioning for him to continue, no need to elaborate on that embarrassing moment.

“I shouldn’t have erupted that way. However—“

“Here it comes,” Buffy muttered.

“You should have told me, ran it by me at least—“

“Okay, yes, you’re right. I should have. However, I was pissed at you and wanted to piss you off in turn.”

“Pissed at me?”

“Yes, you know, mad.”

He rolled his eyes, “I do know the American slang for mad, Buffy.”

“Well, I was pissed at you for the way you treated me when you finally called me last week. I was all happy to hear from you and then you basically shit on me and made me feel like I couldn’t take care of my niece—“

“You were happy to hear from me?” William said, hopefully.

She looked up at him, startled. “Yeah, I was. Until you laid into me and said all that crap about having to talk to Willow because she is the one that knows how to take care of Ella—“

“Buffy, I was out of line. I’m very sorry for that.”

“So that’s why I did what I did. Childish of me, I know, but you hurt my feelings and I wanted to get you back.”

“You succeeded. In case you hadn’t noticed,” he said and grinned teasingly.

She smiled warily, “Yeah, I noticed all right.”

She bit her lip. To bring up the kiss or not to bring up the kiss? Just when she opened her mouth to do so, thinking what the hell?, Ella started to cry. Guess that will have to wait, she thought. She went to tend to her niece but William stopped her.

“I’ll do it; you go and have a shower, relax a bit you have been looking after her all week. It’s my turn now.” William went and picked up Ella rocking her and trying to soothe her with his voice.

Buffy tried hard to hide her shock. “Again I ask are you still drunk?”

“No,” William laughed, “Your aunty Buffy is funny isn’t she.” He walked towards her. “I want to take care of my niece. Why do you think I rushed back to be with you?”

“Ella, you mean Ella. You rushed back to spend time with Ella,” William looked confused.

“That’s what I said.”

“No, you said you came back to spend time with you. I mean me but you were mistaken, you meant Ella,” she looked away nervously. As much as she wanted what he had said to be true, she was scared of the repercussions if they were. “Didn’t you?” It was not so much of a question but more of a statement.

“Sure, if that helps you sleep at night.” Buffy just stood there letting his words sink in. It took her a few seconds to realize that both William and Ella had left.

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

It was official William Giles had lost his mind.

He had no other explanation for his current position, still in his suit with a kiss the cook apron on. Trying to cook breakfast and asking advice from a 6-month-old child.

“So Ella, does aunty Buffy like her eggs poached or scrambled?” Ella giggled in response

“I will take that as scrambled,” he went to the refrigerator to find the eggs and milk.

He wanted to contribute making a difference in Ella and Buffy’s life, he knew it was more than just cooking breakfast but he needed to start somewhere. He figured the more he was a part of their lives the less insecure he would feel about them leaving.

It was his greatest fear of people leaving and being alone. It seemed as though his life had been a series of goodbyes, his father, mother and lastly Dru. It was one of the reasons he had chosen to be alone. There was no one to leave him if he did not ask them to stay. That is why he had gone all caveman when Riley “I can bend six ways to Sunday” arrived on the scene. He could see it all slip through his fingers. The one thing he wanted to hold onto for dear life was being taken from him and he felt powerless to stop it.

He smelt Buffy enter the kitchen before he saw her. He turned around from the grill and his breath was taken away.

She was beautiful. He knew that he had known that from the moment he met her all those years previous but it was more than that. Freshly showered and playing with Ella in the highchair it gave him a glimpse of a life he never thought he wanted or deserved. It was now a life he wanted and would fight tooth and nail to have.

“William the eggs are burning,” he was broken from his trance as she took the pan from his hands and rushed it to the sink.

“Come to London with me,” the words fell from his mouth before he had time to think it through.

Buffy dropped the frying pan in the sink and turned towards him.

“Sorry, did you just ask me to come to London with you?”

“Yes, you and Ella this week come to London. Stay at my place. It's not as big as here but I think you would like it.”

“The Taj Mahal isn’t as big as here, so that’s not saying much. You’re serious aren’t you?”

“Always, but about this, yes. I want to spend the week with you and Ella.”

“Ok.”





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