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Chapter 3

“Tell me as soon as the car has picked Miss Summers up from the airport,” William barked as he stormed passed his assistant’s desk. “And where are Angel’s case files? I asked for them over twenty minutes ago.” Before his assistant could look up, he had slammed the door of his office.

He pressed his back against the door and breathed hard. He was angry and he needed to retain the anger within him. It kept the sadness away. It was not his assistant he was angry at, or the missing files. He was angry at life, God, the universe. He was angry with whatever force had taken Dru and Angel away.

~

It had only been thirty-six hours since he had gotten the call. He was leaving the office late as usual when his cell rang. He almost did not take the call, as the number that flashed across the screen was unfamiliar.

“William Giles,” he answered.

“Mr. Giles, this is the registrar at St. Vincent’s hospital.”

“How can I help you?” William asked as he made his way out onto the street and tried to hail a cab.

“I need you to come down straight away. I am afraid there has been an accident involving your sister and her husband.”

He felt his pulse start to race. “Are they alright?” he asked, his voice unsteady.

“Please get here as fast as you can, Mr. Giles.”

At that moment, time simultaneously stood still and flew by. The cab could not get to the hospital fast enough. Once he got to the hospital, everything sped up. He was whisked away into a private room and told the news.

“I am so sorry…”

“We did everything we could…”

“A drunk driver…”

“Red light...”

William kept phasing in and out of the conversation. It was like a bad cell phone connection where he could only hear every other sentence, but he sensed when the doctor finished speaking. Grief had been gripping his heart the minute the hospital staff ushered him into the calming pastel pink room.

Dru and Angel were dead.

“I have tried to contact Angel’s next of kin, but I’m having trouble reaching Miss Summers.” The mention of her name brought him out of his own grief and back into the conversation.

Buffy. It had been two years since he had seen her. He had no idea how she was, what was going on in her life. What was she going to do now ? How would she react?

“I have her number, I’ll call her.” William stood up and went into autopilot as he shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you for everything you have done.”

~

“Mr. Giles.” His assistant’s voice broke him from his thoughts. He had not moved from the door. He stepped aside to open it.

“Yes?”

“The chauffeur just called. Miss Summers is on her way.” He could see the look of sadness and pity in her eyes. He had seen the same look in all of the faces around him since the accident. It was another reason to stay angry; people did not look at you in sympathy if they were terrified of you.

“About time. Where are those bloody files? Time doesn’t stop because people die!” He slammed the door back.

He knew that for certain. Time had not stopped since the accident. The phone call to Buffy had been painful. He heard her sobs as he told her the news. He had arranged all the details to make things as easy as he could for her. First class ticket to London, taxi service to pick her up, and of course, she could stay at the house as long as she wanted.

“Who’s looking after Ella?” Buffy had asked. His eyes widened in shock. In all that had happened, he had momentarily forgotten about his six-month-old niece. His niece who no longer had any parents.

“She’s at home with her nanny, Willow. I’m on my way there now to see her and tell them what has happened.”

“Oh, okay.”

“I’ll have the tickets ready for you at the airport.”

“Thank you, William, you’re too kind.”

“It’s no trouble at all, Buffy. We’re family.”

~

Buffy could not believe it. No matter how many times she tried to wrap her mind around it, she could not. She did not want to. How could she accept it, how could she just ‘move on’?

Her brother, her dear brother, was dead. He was the only family she had left, so no, she could not and would not accept it.

Looking across the crowded room with the sea of faces she could not register stood William. He was playing the gracious host. Nodding, smiling, hugging . . . but his eyes, his eyes were empty. He was bereft of any emotion and she understood that all too well because she was too.

As if he knew she was watching, he glanced over and their eyes met. Silent understanding passed between them. Though they had just seen each other the day before to make arrangements for the wake and funeral, they had not had time to really talk about anything but ‘business.’

He kept his gaze on her as she stood, suddenly feeling the need to be near him. She was not even aware really that she was moving, gliding actually, across the crowded family room to see him. The need and intent was there and that was all she knew.

Standing before him, she looked up into his handsome yet drawn face and stared at him.

“Hi.”

He let out a moan, a moan of anguish and in the next instant, she was in his arms and he was holding her tight against him. The dam had let loose and William cried, but not her, not the one who refused to accept that Angel was gone. She was not ready yet, but William was, having just given a eulogy about living on for your loved ones and knowing they ‘were in a better place.’

Anywhere had to be better than here.

Instinctively, she knew he would not like this, would not like losing it in a room of people. It was all about saving face and keeping up appearances with William Giles and she knew he would be horrified later to know he had sobbed his heart out and somehow lost face.

“Come with me,” she said gently, and detached herself from him as much as he had let her. A few people tried to gather around them to see to William and she sent them death ray glares so that they backed off.

She led him into the study; at least what she thought was a study, with mahogany furniture and red coloring. She did not bother to turn on the lights even though the sun was starting to fade and the room was darkening.

She held onto him and he sobbed out his grief. He needed a rock and his rock she would be. Later, she hoped, he would be able to return the favor.

“I just can’t believe she’s gone,” he murmured into her neck.

“I know, William,” she said calmly and stroked his back.

“She was so happy . . . she was so happy . . . “

“I know, William,” Buffy murmured again, thinking of the little girl upstairs napping who was now parentless. She knew how that felt all too well. And so did William.

His head jerked up suddenly, his eyes blazing with intensity into hers. “We’re family,” he whispered.

She nodded, “We are. Even if we haven’t seen each other in –“

She never did get to finish that sentence for William’s lips were plundering hers in a thoroughly heated kiss that stole her breath and made her knees weak. Despite the grief, there was still passion and she accepted it. Accepted it because she did not feel so numb anymore. She felt.

Therefore, it was not with any big surprise that clothes were discarded soon after and they landed in a heap on the red velvet couch, fornicating like wild animals and, she was sure, her screams of pleasure could be heard through the house.

That would surely give them something to talk about.





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